Effect of air pollution on IL-4, IFN-r in serum of rats

  Objective   To analyse the effect of air pollution on cytokine in rats and explore the damage mechanism of air pollution to respiratory system.

  Methods   Rats weighting 180-220 g were randomly divided into 4 groups, which were control group, lower, middle and higher dose groups.Rats of dose groups were separately poured into particles 715, 15 and 30 mg by upper respiratory tract and exposed to SO₂, NO2 8, 5 mg/m³; 16, 10 mg/m³; 32, 20 mg/m³ for seven days.On the first day and the eighth day after poisoned, common abdomen artery blood were collected and IL-4, IFN-r were measured by ELISA.

  Results   On the first day after exposed pollutants, IL-4 in middle, higher dose group rats were significantly higher than that of control rats(P < 0105).On the eighth day, IL-4 fall down again, but still higher than that of control rats.IFN-r in serum showed decrease on the first day after exposed to pollutants and still was not recovery on the eighth day.

  Conclusion   Air pollutants could induce IL-4 increasing and IFN-r decreasing, which damage the equilibrium between TH1 and TH2, and cause respiratory disease and allergy disease.