Quantitative Analysis of VCAM-1 mRNA Expression Levels in the Nasal Mucosa of TDI-induced Allergic Rats

ABSTRACT

Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) has been implicated in selective eosinophil recruitment characterizing allergic inflammation. To understand the events involved in selective eosinophil migration into allergic inflammatory sites, we performed quantitative analysis of VCAM-1 mRNA expression levels in the nasal mucosa of TDI-induced allergic rats. Expression levels of VCAM-1 mRNA from inferior turbinate were examined using competitive PCR in 35 allergic rats and 5 control rats and compared with infiltrated eosinophil counts. Quantity of VCAM-1 mRNA was more increased in allergy group than in the control group, especially in group sacrificed 3 hours to 4 days after provocation. Infiltrating eosinophils were correlated with the expression levels of VCAM-1 mRNA (p<0.01). These results suggest that VCAM-1 plays a predominant role in controlling antigen-induced eosinophil recruitment into the tissue, and that the induction of VCAM-1 expression on the endothelium at the site of allergic inflammation regulates eosinophil recruitment.