House Dust Mite Allergy Models—Reliability for Research of Airway Defensive Mechanisms

Abstract

Extensive research of respiratory physiology and diseases of the airways and lungs provides better understanding of mechanisms of diseases and it is a source of new data with potential clinical application. The majority of the data in the field of airway defensive reflexes were obtained from guinea pig model, as the most convenient one. Neurophysiology and neuropharmacology of the cough reflex-which is exclusively mediated by the vagus nerve, share close similarities between guinea pigs and humans. The models used to study pathological processes and their influence on airway-defensive reflexes use sensitization with ovalbumin-the protein from chicken egg, which does not mimic allergies within human respiratory system. House dust mites (HDM) (Dermatophagoides pteronyssius and Dermatophagoides farinae) represent frequent human aeroallergens, however the HDM models are used considerably less than ovalbumin models. The primary objective of this review is to focus on already validated models of HDM-induced airway diseases to see, whether some of them are suitable to study mechanisms of peripheral cough plasticity in a condition of HDM-induced pathological processes. The main purpose of future use and validation of HDM model is to produce higher ability to translate the results obtained in animal models to human cough research.

Attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness and mucus secretion in HDM‐exposed Igf1r‐deficient mice

“…Geographical variations notwithstanding, the majority of allergic asthmatic individuals are sensitive to house dust mite (HDM). HDM exhibits a complex mixture of molecules including proteases, allergen epitopes, and activators of the innate immune system serving as adjuvants to disrupt intercellular tight junctions leading to cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor production and cellular influx, as well as airway remodeling and mucus hypersecretion …”

“…the innate immune system serving as adjuvants to disrupt intercellular tight junctions leading to cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor production and cellular influx, as well as airway remodeling and mucus hypersecretion. [3][4][5] The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) is a ubiquitously expressed membrane-bound tyrosine kinase receptor and a central member of the IGF system. This network comprises two major ligands (IGF1 and IGF2), different receptors and regulatory proteins, including IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs), acting together to control multiple cellular functions such as growth, proliferation, differentiation, survival, adhesion, and migration.…”

Short and dysfunctional telomeres protect from allergen‐induced airway inflammation

“…House dust mite (HDM) allergens are the most important source of mite‐related allergens. HDM exhibits a complex mixture of molecules and activators of the innate immune system serving as adjuvants to disrupt intercellular tight junctions leading to cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor production and cellular influx, as well as airway remodeling and mucus hypersecretion (Buday & Plevkova, 2014; Calderón et al, 2015; Gregory & Lloyd, 2011). The airway epithelium is an essential controller of inflammatory, immune, and regenerative responses in asthma.…”

Psychosocial impacts of coughing in public places during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in the western region of Saudi Arabia

“…Coughing is a natural defense mechanism as an innate primitive reaction that indicates how the immune system helps maintain health and eliminate foreign bodies. 1,2 It may occur because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory diseases. Moreover, it has become one of the major causes of hospital visits, accounting for 30 million clinical visits per year, and 40% of these cases are referred to pulmonology clinics.…”