These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Eosinophil degranulation in the allergic lung of mice primarily occurs in the airway lumen.
    Author: Clark K, Simson L, Newcombe N, Koskinen AM, Mattes J, Lee NA, Lee JJ, Dent LA, Matthaei KI, Foster PS.
    Journal: J Leukoc Biol; 2004 Jun; 75(6):1001-9. PubMed ID: 15020648.
    Abstract:
    Eosinophil degranulation is thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of allergic disorders. Although mouse models of allergic disorders have been used extensively to identify the contribution of eosinophils to disease, ultrastructural evidence of active granule disassembly has not been reported. In this investigation, we characterized the degree of eosinophil activation in the bone marrow, blood, lung tissue, and airways lumen [bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)] of ovalbumin-sensitized and aero-challenged wild-type and interleukin-5 transgenic mice. Degranulation was most prominent in and primarily compartmentalized to the airways lumen. Eosinophils released granule proteins by the process of piecemeal degranulation (PMD). Accordingly, recruitment and activation of eosinophils in the lung correlated with the detection of cell-free eosinophil peroxidase in BALF and with the induction of airways hyper-reactivity. As in previous studies with human eosinophils, degranulation of isolated mouse cells did not occur until after adherence to extracellular matrix. However, higher concentrations of exogenous stimuli appear to be required to trigger adherence and degranulation (piecemeal) of mouse eosinophils when compared with values reported for studies of human eosinophils. Thus, mouse eosinophils undergo PMD during allergic inflammation, and in turn, this process may contribute to pathogenesis. However, the degranulation process in the allergic lung of mice is primarily compartmentalized to the airway lumen. Understanding the mechanism of eosinophil degranulation in the airway lumen may provide important insights into how this process occurs in human respiratory diseases.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]