The effect of BCG treatment on the remodelling in the House Dust Mite-induced allergic asthma in mice

Background : Airway remodelling has been linked to the development of airway hyperres : ponsiveness. However, current treatments have little control the airway remodelling in asthmatic patients. Recently BCG immunization induce immunomodulation that was attributed to the ability of helper T cell type 1 (TH1) immune response. In order to investigate the effect of BCG on the remodelling in the Houst Dust Mite (HDM) induced allergic asthma in mice, we observed the change of airway remodelling, allergic inflammatory responses and airway hyperresponsiveness in the asthmatic mice on going allergic responses after BeG via subcutaneous injection. Methods: 4-6-week-old female BALB/c mice were divided into three groups; mice in BCG group received colony-forming units/100 L, of BCG subcutaneously on days 14, 21 and 28, whereas mice in asthma group received phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Subsequently, mice in asthma and BCG groups were immunization and intranasal challenge with HDM for 9 weeks. On days 60, 61 and 62, two groups received an intranasal dose of 10 g HDM and then enhanced pause was monitored. The mice were examined for the extent of the goblet cell hyperplasia, the thickness of subepithelial fibrosis and peribronchial smooth muscle. Analyses of immunoglobuline E (IgE) response, HDMspecific IgG1 and IgG2a responses in serum, cytokine pattern and eosinophilia in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were carried out. Results : Control group did not show goblet cell hyperplasia, but asthma group showed a significant increase in the extent of goblet cell hyperplasia. There was a significant increase in the thickness of subepithelial fibrosis and peribronchial smooth muscle in the asthma group in comparing with the control group (p