Establishment of a new animal model of allergic rhinitis with biphasic sneezing by intranasal sensitization with Staphylococcal enterotoxin B

Abstract

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a global health problem. The effectiveness of currently available medications is limited and therefore investigation for more effective drugs is essential. The aim of the present study was to establish a model of AR in guinea pigs that can be utilized for the further investigation of new drugs. Guinea pigs were intranasally sensitized with 1 µg Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) dissolved in 40 µl saline once daily for 14 days. One week after the last sensitization, the same treatment was applied intranasally once every four days for a total of 30 times. In the treatment group, terfenadine was administered orally 70 min before the 4th, 14th and 24th challenge. Sneezing and nasal scratching were evaluated following each of the 30 challenges. The quantity of antigen-specific antibodies in the serum was measured. Between the 19th and 30th challenges, the guinea pigs in the model group produced significant biphasic elevations in sneezing number, with peaks 10 min-2 h and 4-8 h after the SEB challenges. In addition, the guinea pigs produced significantly more sneezing in the first peak during the 19th to 30th challenges than during the first to 18th challenges (P<0.01). Terfenadine significantly inhibited the early- and late-phase sneezing at all challenge times. The serum levels of SEB-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E and IgG were higher in the model group in comparison with those in the control group (P<0.01). This experiment demonstrated that SEB can induce typical AR with biphasic sneezing in guinea pigs. Histamine may play an important role in the early- and the late-phase sneezing in the model of AR. This model can be potentially used for the investigation of new drugs.

Intranasal antisepsis to reduce influenza virus transmission in an animal model

“…All three treatments were applied to guinea pig nares in the same way: While guinea pigs were awake and in an upright position, we used a positive‐displacement pipette to deliver 50 μl to each naris (100 μl per animal). Awake administration of treatments was used instead of anesthetized administration after a comprehensive literature review 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 and risk–benefit analysis. The viscosity of the Nasal Prep and vehicle solutions, coupled with guinea pigs' inability to protect their airways due to the loss of gag reflex while under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia, increased the risk of death by respiratory failure due to the aspiration of the solutions into the respiratory tract under anesthesia.…”