Transcript Slide 1

Exposure to agriculture dust particles during
allergen sensitization exacerbates allergic
airway inflammation
Alex Castañeda, M.S.
Graduate Group in Immunology
University of California Davis
Dr. Kent Pinkerton
Director, Center for Health & the Environment
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
Professor of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Asthma
Allergen
Environmental/Occupational
Factors
Ovalbumin
Ambient Particles
Genetic Factors
Kim et al. 2010. The many pathways to
asthma. Nature Immunology 11: 577-584
Allergic Asthma
Symptoms: Airway inflammation,
bronchial constriction, coughing,
wheezing, and shortness of breath
Prevalence: 235 million people
worldwide (11 million in the US)
In California (San Joaquin Valley)
25% of all children are diagnosed
with allergic asthma
Particle Pollution
Studies have shown a correlation between asthma and high particulate matter exposure
-Particular matter exacerbate asthma
-The use of source specific ambient particles has not been studied
Particulate Matter:
Vehicle emissions (gasoline)
Agricultural Dusts
Diesel exhaust gases
Mineral dusts
Hydrocarbons
Particles Size:
Coarse particles
Fine Particles
Ultrafine particles (0.1µm in diameter)
Location:
Fresno California (Leading agriculture-producing county in the nation)
Particles collected during summer nights (2010)
Agricultural Dust
Generation
Field preparation for crops, fertilization,
crop harvest (ex- almonds)
Composition
Inorganic (Mineral Dusts)
Silcates (aluminum silicates), quartz,
transition metals
Organic (Carbonates)
Toxicity of Inorganic Agricultural Dusts
Cellular toxicity
Generate free radicals
Oxidative cellular stress
Activation of the immune system towards
an inflammatory state
-Fibrogenesis
Hypothesis
Exposure to agricultural dust particles during
sensitization with an allergen (house dust mites or
ovalbumin) will exacerbate airway inflammation in
BALB/c mice
Methods
Murine Model- BALB/c mice
Treatments
Allergen- OVA, Purified OVA or
Purified House Dust Mites (HDM)
Agricultural Dust- Ultrafine Particles (Fresno)
Sensitization (days 1, 3, & 5)
OVA & pOVA- 10ug intranasal
HDM- 25ug intranasal
Challenge (days 12, 13, & 14)
OVA & pOVA- 10ug aerosolized
HDM- 10 ug OVA
Groups
1 -Control (No Allergen + Filtered Air)
2- OVA + Filtered Air
3- OVA + Particulate Matter
4- pOVA + Filtered Air
5- pOVA + Particulate Matter
6- pHDM + Filtered Air
7- pHDM + Particulate Matter
Tissue Collection
Blood Plasma (IgE,IgG1)
BALF
Lung (Homogenize & Fixed)
Allergen Sensitization+
Ambient Particles
0
Allergen Challenge
5
10
15
Necropsy
BALF Cellular Proflies
Total Cells
Neutrophils
Macrophages
Eosinophils
Results- Tissue Histology
Control
Allergen and particulate matter
Alcian Blue
Periodic Acid
Schiff’s Stain
Mucosubstance
Results- Tissue Histology
P
M
D
Airway Inflammation:
Volume of Intraepithelial Mucosubstances
Area of Basal Lamina
(
µm3
µm2
)
Results- Tissue Histology
P
M
D
Results- Total Protein
Results- Antibody Production
Results- IL-17-A Production
Barnes et al. 2008. Immunology of asthma and COPD.Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 183-192
Results- IL-17-E Production
Summary
Airway inflammation was exacerbated when
particulate matter was introduced during allergen
sensitization (HDM only, not OVA)
-Significantly elevated levels of total cells,
macrophages, and neutrophils
Based on muco-substance production HDMA causes
significantly more airway inflammation over Ova
IL-17A production was elevated in the HDMA
model, correlating with increased neutrophils,
however there is no correlation to particles
Future Work
Investigate the mechanisms through which
agricultural dust enhances airway inflammation
-How particles activate the immune system?
Investigate neutrophil infiltration
-Do particles increase neutrophilic inflammation?
Acknowledgements
Pinkerton Laboratory
Kent Pinkerton, Ph.D.
Chris Carosino
Dale Uyeminami
Janice Peake
Katherine Johnson
Imelda Espiritu
Alexa Pham
Esther Shin
Jocelyn Claude
All other members
UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
Marc Schenker, M.D.
Sandra Freeland
All other members
Graduate Group in Immunology