Contribution of interleukin 17A to the development and regulation of allergic inflammation in a murine allergic rhinitis model.

Background: Interleukin (IL) 17A, a key cytokine of T(H)17 cells, is a well-known proinflammatory cytokine. Despite the important role of T(H)17 cells in acute airway inflammation, the role of IL-17A in allergic rhinitis (AR) remains unclear.

Objective: To investigate the role of IL-17A in the allergic response in AR.

Immunostimulatory sequence oligdeoxynucleotide/cholera toxin B conjugate: a novel allergen-independent intranasal vaccine for allergic rhinitis.

Background: Recent studies have shown that by acting as strong TH1 response-inducing adjuvants, DNA immunostimulatory sequence oligdeoxynucleotides (ISS-ODNs) can be used in the treatment of allergic diseases, and efforts are being made to enhance these TH1 adjuvant actions.

Objective: To determine whether intranasally delivered ISS-ODN/cholera toxin B (CTB) conjugate has enhanced antiallergic effects in an allergic rhinitis mouse model.

Methods: BALB-c mice were sensitized with ovalbumin.

Expression of uteroglobin in a murine model of allergic rhinitis.

Conclusion: We observed for the first time the expression of Uteroglobin (UGB) in the nasal mucosa of mice. The results of our study suggest that UGB may play an important role in the regulation of inflammation in allergic rhinitis (AR) as well as in the lower airway allergic inflammations.

Objectives: Uteroglobin is a protein secreted by epithelial lining of organs communicating with the external environment.

Suppression of allergic response by CpG motif oligodeoxynucleotide-house-dust mite conjugate in animal model of allergic rhinitis.

Background: Although there have been many therapeutic options for allergic disease, the true allergen desensitization remains a challenging goal. The classic immunotherapy has a limited efficacy, is inconvenient, and has a risk of anaphylaxis. Recent reports revealed that immunostimulatory DNA sequences (ISS-oligdeoxynucleotide [ODN], CpG motif) act as a strong Th1 response-inducing adjuvants and that DNA-based vaccination might be an effective therapeutic option.

Phosphorylation of p85 beta PIX, a Rac/Cdc42-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor, via the Ras/ERK/PAK2 pathway is required for basic fibroblast growth factor-induced neurite outgrowth.

Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) have been implicated in growth factor-induced neuronal differentiation through the activation of small GTPases. Although phosphorylation of these GEFs is considered an activation mechanism, little is known about the upstream of PAK-interacting exchange factor (PIX), a member of the Dbl family of GEFs. We report here that phosphorylation of p85 betaPIX/Cool/p85SPR is mediated via the Ras/ERK/PAK2 pathway.

Basic fibroblast growth factor-induced translocation of p21-activated kinase to the membrane is independent of phospholipase C-gamma1 in the differentiation of PC12 cells.

p21-activated kinase (PAK) targeting to the plasma membrane is essential for PC12 cell neurite outgrowth. Phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLC-gamma1) can mediate the PAK translocation in response to growth factors, since PLC-gamma1 binds to both tyrosine-phosphorylated receptor tyrosine kinases and PAK through its SH2 and SH3 domain, respectively. In the present study, we examined a potential role for PLC-gamma1 in the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced PAK translocation using stable PC12 cell lines that overexpress in a tetracycline-inducible manner either the wild-type FGFR-1 or the Y766F FGFR-1 mutant.