Impact of boostering for the strength of asthma parameters and dendritic cell numbers in a C57BL/6 model of allergic airway inflammation

Murine models assist in elucidating the pathogenesis of allergic asthma and evaluation of new therapeutic strategies. We aimed to assess the requirement of boostering needed in the BL/6 murine asthma model and its influence on DC populations in lungs and bronchial lymph nodes. Two injections of OVA+alum – one sensitization and one booster – followed by two aerosol challenges were sufficient to induce a distinct asthma-like inflammation in BL/6 mice, including significant increased immunoglobulin (IgE) level, influx of eosinophils in the airway lumen, and evident histopathology. Using this protocol, CD11c highMHC-II + DC counts in lungs and lymph nodes doubled with no changes of CD8 + DC in the lungs but increase in lung-draining lymph nodes. Given the site-specific changes of dendritic cell (DC) subpopulations during allergic asthma we propose a distinct regulation of antigen transport and antigen presentation in the murine asthma model.