House Dust Mite and Cat Dander Extract Induce Asthma-Like Histopathology with an Increase of Mucosal Mast Cells in a Guinea Pig Model.

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease with structural changes in the lungs defined as airway remodelling. Mast cell responses are important in asthma as they, upon activation, release mediators inducing bronchoconstriction, inflammatory cell recruitment, and often remodelling of the airways. As guinea pigs exhibit anatomical, physiological, and pharmacological features resembling human airways, including mast cell distribution and mediator release, we evaluated the effect of extracts from two common allergens, house dust mite (HDM) and cat dander (CDE), on histopathological changes and the composition of tryptase- and chymase-positive mast cells in the guinea pig lungs.

A new house dust mite-driven and mast cell-activated model of asthma in the guinea pig.

Background: Animal models are extensively used to study underlying mechanisms in asthma. Guinea pigs share anatomical, pharmacological and physiological features with human airways and may enable the development of a pre-clinical in vivo model that closely resembles asthma.

Objectives: To develop an asthma model in guinea pigs using the allergen house dust mite (HDM).

Lipoxin A reduces house dust mite and TNFα-induced hyperreactivity in the mouse trachea.

Lipoxin A (LXA) is considered a specialised pro-resolving mediator that decreases inflammation: however, pro-inflammatory effects have been described in the airways. Here, we investigated whether LXA could influence airway hyperreactivity induced in mouse trachea by house dust mite extract (HDM) or TNFα. Intranasal instillation of HDM caused a serotonin (5-HT) mediated airway hyperreactivity ex vivo (E: 78.