Abstract.
Objective: This study examines the effect of ultrasonically nebulized distilled water inhalation on the systemic histamine hyperreactivity of Toxocara canis-infected mice.
Methods: Uninfected and T. canis-infected mice received an intravenous sublethal dose of histamine and lethality rates were documented. At 24 days post infection, infected mice received ultrasonically nebulized distilled water inhalation for 1 h. Twenty-four hours later histamine levels were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as well as histamine lethality and toluidine blue-stained mast cell number in the lung.
Results: T. canis-infected mice showed increased lethality after exposure to histamine in comparison to uninfected mice. Ultrasonically nebulized distilled water inhalation prevented histamine-induced lethality and reduced toluidine blue-stained mast cell numbers in the lung.
Conclusions: The correlation between decreases in stained mast cells in the lung after ultrasonically nebulized distilled water inhalation and inhibition of histamine-induced lethality in these animals suggests participation of mast cells in the phenomenon and could be helpful in understanding the mechanisms of hyperreactivity during helminth parasite infections.
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Received 25 November 2004; returned for revision 14 January 2005; accepted by A. Falus 8 February 2005
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Sá-Nunes, A., Bolzoni, R.M.F., Medeiros, A.I. et al. Ultrasonically nebulized distilled water prevents exogenous histamine hyperreactivity in Toxocara canis-infected mice. Inflamm. res. 54, 243–248 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-005-1347-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-005-1347-8