Non‐eosinophilic Airway Hyper‐reactivity in Mice, Induced by IFN ‐ γ Producing CD 4 + and CD 8 + Lung T cells, is Responsive to Steroid Treatment

Non‐eosinophilic asthma is characterized by infiltration of neutrophils into the lung and variable responsiveness to glucocorticoids. The pathophysiological mechanisms have not been characterized in detail. Here, we present an experimental asthma model in mice associated with non‐eosinophilic airway inflammation and airway hyper‐responsiveness (AHR). For this, BALB/c mice were sensitized by biolistic DNA immunization with a plasmid encoding the model antigen β ‐galactosidase ( pF ascin‐ β Gal mice). For comparison, eosinophilic airway inflammation was induced by subcutaneous injection of β Gal protein ( β Gal mice). Intranasal challenge of mice in both groups induced AHR to a comparable extent as well as recruitment of inflammatory cells into the airways. In contrast to β Gal mice, which exhibited extensive eosinophilic infiltration in the lung, goblet cell hyperplasia and polarization of CD4 + T cells into Th2 and Th17 cells, pF ascin‐ β Gal mice showed considerable neutrophilia, but no goblet cell hyperplasia and a predominance of Th1 and Tc1 cells in the airways. Depletion studies in pF ascin‐ β Gal mice revealed that CD4 + and CD8 + cells cooperated to induce maximum inflammation, but that neutrophilic infiltration was not a prerequisite for AHR induction. Treatment of pF ascin‐ β Gal mice with dexamethasone before intranasal challenge did not affect neutrophilic infiltration, but significantly reduced AHR, infiltration of monocytes and lymphocytes as well as content of IFN‐ γ in the bronchoalveolar fluid. Our results suggest that non‐eosinophilic asthma associated predominantly with Th1/Tc1 cells is susceptible to glucocorticoid treatment. pF ascin‐ β Gal mice might represent a mouse model to study pathophysiological mechanisms proceeding in the subgroup of asthmatics with non‐eosinophilic asthma that respond to inhaled steroids.