Butyrate Enhances Desensitization Induced by Oral Immunotherapy in Cow’s Milk Allergic Mice

Figure 1

Experimental timeline and groups. Female C3H/HeOuJ mice were grouped as depicted: sham, sham-sensitized control; sens, whey-sensitized control; FOS, FOS-supplemented group; butyrate, butyrate-supplemented group; OIT, OIT group; OIT + FOS, OIT with FOS supplementation group; and OIT + butyrate, OIT with butyrate supplementation group. All mice were fed the AIN-93G control diet upon arrival and during i.g. sensitization with whey (20 mg in 0.5 ml PBS) and cholera toxin (15 μg in 0.5 ml PBS) on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28. The FOS-supplemented diet was provided from D35 to the end of the protocol in the FOS and OIT + FOS groups. OIT with 10 mg whey in 0.5 ml PBS was given 5×/week for 3 weeks (D42–59). Sodium butyrate was coadministered during OIT (0.6 g/kg bodyweight/day) based on mean bodyweight per group. At D63, whole blood samples were collected via cheek puncture to perform a BAT and an i.d. challenge (D64, 10 μg whey in 20 μl PBS/ear) and i.g. challenge (D69, 50 mg whey in 0.5 ml PBS) were conducted to measure the acute allergic skin response and mucosal mast cell degranulation (mMCP-1), respectively. At D70, all mice were sacrificed and blood and organs were collected. OIT: oral immunotherapy; FOS: fructo-oligosaccharides; CT: cholera toxin; i.d.: intradermal; i.g.: intragastric; BAT: basophil activation test; mMCP-1: mucosal mast cell protease-1.