Strain-dependent Dissociation of Airway Hyper-responsiveness from Inflammation in a House Dust Mite Model of Asthma

Gene expression analysis of Der p 1-treated mouse lungs. We developed a new mouse model of allergic airway disease employing the house dust mite allergen Der p 1. This model produces qualitatively and quantitatively different effects in two commonly used inbred strains of mice, C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ, demonstrating that genetic background is an important determinant of response to Der p 1. To identify the genes and pathways associated with inflammation and pathophysiology, we used microarrays and found genes that were shared by both strains or were distinct. Among the latter, we identified three G-protein coupled receptors and a number of other genes and pathways whose expression patterns clearly distinguish the divergent physiologic responses of the two strains. We conclude that genetic background is a strong determinant of the type and intensity of response to Der p 1, including the degree of airway hyper-responsiveness and/or inflammation. We analyzed whole lung RNAs from control (n=10-12) and Der p 1 treated (n=12-14) mice of two strains (BALB/cJ and C57BL/6J) using the Affymetrix Mouse Exon 1.0 ST platform. Array data was processed using Partek Genomics Suite software. Three techinical replicates were performed on a subset of samples.