Cloning and expression of cDNA for interleukin 4 from the MSKR inbred strain of Mus musculus molossinus.

The 5'-upsteam region of the genomic gene and cDNA encoding interleukin 4 (IL-4) has been isolated and sequenced from the inbred mouse strain MSKR derived from a Japanese wild mouse using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology. The cDNA sequence of IL-4 of MSKR was found to contain several nucleotide alterations, which result in amino acid substitutions, in comparison with that of inbred mouse BALB/c. In MSKR, IL-4 was expressed at high levels in thymus and spleen as revealed by reverse transcriptase PCR method and Northern hybridization.

Chymase inhibitor improves dermatitis in NC/Nga mice.

Background: Mast cell chymase is thought to participate in allergic inflammation, but its precise role remains undetermined. Inbred NC/Nga mice develop skin lesions similar to atopic dermatitis (AD) when they grow up in a conventional environment. To elucidate the possible role of chymase in AD, we examined the effect of a chymase inhibitor on skin lesions of NC/Nga mice.