Effects of sodium hypochlorite in pulmonary inflammatory mechanisms in mice sensitized by house dust mite

• Grant number: 18/09882-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2018
• End date: October 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Beatriz Mangueira Saraiva
• Grantee: Rebeca Roberta Campos Medeiros
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa. Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul (UNICSUL). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Background: Asthma is characterized by airway inflammation, airflow limitation, airway remodeling and bronchial hyperresponsiveness, which are present in both classic and occupational asthma. Occupational asthma can arise due to causes and conditions present in the work environment. There are several substances present in the professional and industrial activities that can trigger the disease and among them we can highlight chlorine, which is a widely used industrial product and has a highly reactive action causing probable damages in the airways induced by oxidative injury. Asthma can also be triggered after contact with house dust mites. Workers in the cleaning industry are highly exposed to these two factors and we believe that an experimental model with mice can help to understand the inflammatory mechanisms and lung remodeling triggered by contact with chlorine and with house dust mites and dust. In this way we decided to create a model of chronic exposure to chlorine gas of 3.8 ppm in mice sensitized with house dust mites to better understand the mechanism of action of this irritant in the airways. Objective: To develop a study of work-related asthma through exposure to sodium hypochlorite for 8 weeks in an experimental model of asthma induced by domestic dust mites. Methods: The animals will be divided into 4 groups: Control, HDM, Hypochlorite 1%, HDM + Hypochlorite 1%, with 10 animals in each group totaling 40 animals. Pulmonary mechanics data will be collected by ventilator for small animals (FlexiVent). In addition will be evaluated the inflammation through bronchoalveolar lavage and histology through slides stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) for the analysis of the smooth muscle area around the airways, epithelial hyperplasia and evaluation of polyphormonuclear and mononuclear cells in the peribronchovascular space.