The importance of mast cells in the development of the allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity and inflammation associated with asthma remains controversial. We found that genetically mast cell–deficient WBB6F1-W/Wv mice that were sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) without adjuvant, then challenged repetitively with antigen intranasally, exhibited much weaker responses in terms of bronchial hyperreactivity to aerosolized methacholine, lung tissue eosinophil infiltration, and numbers of proliferating cells within the airway epithelium than did identically treated WBB6F1-+/+ normal mice. However, W/Wv mice that had undergone selective reconstitution of tissue mast cells with in vitro–derived mast cells of congenic +/+ mouse origin exhibited airway responses that were very similar to those of the +/+ mice. By contrast, W/Wv mice that were sensitized with OVA emulsified in alum and challenged with aerosolized OVA exhibited levels of airway hyperreactivity and lung tissue eosinophil infiltration that were similar to those of the corresponding +/+ mice. Nevertheless, these W/Wv mice exhibited significantly fewer proliferating cells within the airway epithelium than did identically treated +/+ mice. These results show that, depending on the “asthma model” investigated, mast cells can either have a critical role in, or not be essential for, multiple features of allergic airway responses in mice.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
7 August 2000
Brief Definitive Report|
August 08 2000
Mast Cells Can Amplify Airway Reactivity and Features of Chronic Inflammation in an Asthma Model in Mice
Cara M.M. Williams,
Cara M.M. Williams
aDepartment of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305-5324
Search for other works by this author on:
Stephen J. Galli
Stephen J. Galli
aDepartment of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305-5324
bDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305-5324
Search for other works by this author on:
Cara M.M. Williams
aDepartment of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305-5324
Stephen J. Galli
aDepartment of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305-5324
bDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305-5324
Received:
March 20 2000
Revision Requested:
May 18 2000
Accepted:
June 02 2000
Online ISSN: 1540-9538
Print ISSN: 0022-1007
© 2000 The Rockefeller University Press
2000
The Rockefeller University Press
J Exp Med (2000) 192 (3): 455–462.
Article history
Received:
March 20 2000
Revision Requested:
May 18 2000
Accepted:
June 02 2000
Citation
Cara M.M. Williams, Stephen J. Galli; Mast Cells Can Amplify Airway Reactivity and Features of Chronic Inflammation in an Asthma Model in Mice. J Exp Med 7 August 2000; 192 (3): 455–462. doi: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.192.3.455
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionSuggested Content
Email alerts
Advertisement