Abstract
The present study examined the effects of allergy induction under restraint stress conditions on the immune function of mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes and bone density in Brown Norway rats, a rat model that is genetically predisposed to allergic diseases. Stress caused by a restraint net affected the plasma corticosterone level and dietary bulk as well as body weight immediately after stress application. The rate of increase in bone density under stress conditions was lower in allergy-induced rats than in rats where the allergy was not induced. The levels of plasma immunoglobulin (Ig) E, IgG1, IgG2a, ovalbumin (OVA) -specific IgE, OVA-specific IgG1, and OVA-specific IgG2a in allergy-induced rats significantly increased after stress application. In addition, the levels of OVA-specific IgE, OVA-specific IgG1, and IL-10 in mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes were significantly increased after stress application. These findings suggest that allergy induction under conditions of stress greatly affects local immune responses in the intestinal canal, resulting in induction of Th2 differentiation and also having an influence on bone density.
