A Preliminary Study in Immune Response of BALB/c and C57BL/6 Mice with a Locally Allergic Rhinitis Model

Abstract

Background BALB/c and C57BL/6 mouse strains are commonly used in allergy research. The current study investigated the immunological differences between these two mouse strains with a locally allergic rhinitis model. Methods Eighteen BALB/c and eighteen C57BL/6 mice received different doses of ovalbumin (OVA) intranasally for eight weeks (each mouse strain has three subgroups, 25 mg/mL group, 0.25 mg/mL group, and the PBS group). The allergic symptoms, OVA-specific serum antibody (IgE, IgG1, IgG2a), cytokines (IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-10) in the splenic culture supernatant, infiltrating eosinophils and goblet cells in local nasal mucosa were measured. RNA-seq technology was applied to detect differential gene expression in the local nasal mucosa. Results With the same dose of OVA stimulation, the exacerbation of allergic symptoms was more pronounced in C57BL/6 than in BALB/c. BALB/c serum IgE, IgG1, and IgG2a gradually increased, and C57BL/6 produced fewer serum antibodies IgE and IgG1, while IgG2a never increased. BALB/c spleen cell culture supernatant IL-4 and IL-10 increased with increasing dose, and IFN-γ increased significantly in the intermediate dose group, while IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ did not increase in C57BL/6. The infiltration of eosinophils and goblet cells in both mice was proportional to the dose, while C57BL/6 was elevated more than BALB/c. RNA-seq suggested that the innate immune response, immune system process function, Jun kinase (JNK) pathway, and MAPKK pathway were upregulated in C57BL/6 compared to BALB/c. The core genes responsible for the differential immune response in both mice with allergic rhinitis were Kng2, Kng1, Gnb3, Lpar3, Lpar1, Pik3r1, Pf4, Apob, Rps9, and Fbxo2. Conclusion There are significant differences in the immunologic responses between BALB/c mice and C57BL/6 mice. BALB/c mice developed mild local allergic inflammatory reactions and strong systemic immune responses. In contrast, C57BL/6 mice had stronger local allergic inflammatory responses and relatively mild systemic immune responses. Different mice strains can be selected according to the research purpose.

Multivalent S2-subunit Vaccines Provide Broad Protection Against Clade 1 Sarbecoviruses

“…While we previously showed a modest neutralizing antibody response elicited by VLP-CoV-2 S2 in BALB/c mice, the dissimilarity found in this study could be attributed to the lower dose used for vaccinations (7.5 µg vs 14 µg) and the immunological differences in the mouse models (C57BL/6 vs BALB/c). 33,34 To probe the mechanistic basis of this S2-based protection, we probed a possible role for cytotoxic T cell responses. We found that mice treated with an anti-CD8 depletion antibody and immunized with VLP-CoV-1 S2 had similar virus titers in the lung compared to non-T celldepleted mice after MA10 challenge, suggesting CD8 + effector T cells do not play a vital role in S2-based protection (Fig.…”

Experimental animal models of chronic inflammation

“…Balb/c mice have strong Th2 immune response, a common response in allergic reactions and infectious diseases, high production of IgG1 and IgA, high complement activity, and low interferon production. Additionally, Balb/c mice produce stronger humoral response against antigens in comparison with C57BL/6 strain ( Bleul et al, 2021 ; Aoki et al, 2019 ; Zhang et al, 2023 ; Laurenti et al, 2004 ; Kuroda et al, 2002 ; Koo and Gan, 2006 ; Watanabe et al, 2004 ).

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Effects of Dietary Components on Mast Cells: Possible Use as Nutraceuticals for Allergies?

“…C-Kit is the receptor for the MC growth factor SCF [28,29]. Various rodent laboratory strains, including BALB/c, C57BL/6J, NC/Nga, ICR mice, and Sprague-Dawley rats, are used for the study of allergic diseases through specific treatments [30][31][32]. The generation of distinct allergy models by specific treatment and stimulation of animal models is listed in Table 2.…”