Effects Of Zinc Nutritional Status On The Expressions Of IL-12 And NF-κB In Airway Tissues Of Asthmatic Mice

Objective To investigate the effects of various zinc content diet on the expressions of IL-12 and NF-κB in airway tissue of asthmatic mice.Methods1. Animal models of asthma which ate low, normal and high levels of zinc contents forage were established,48 balb/c mice, were randomly divided into 6 groups with 8 mice each group. Group A was the negative control group with normal levels of zinc diet and saline stimulated. Group B was the high zinc content group with high levels of zinc diet and ovalbumin(OVA)stimulated. Group D was the normal zinc content group with normal levels of zinc diet and OVA stimulated. Group F was the low zinc content group with low levels of zinc diet and OVA stimulated. Except of the group A (the negative control group), two paired control groups which were fed forage the same as the forage which were eaten by group F the day before were established to avoid the possible effects of food intake which were lessened because of low zinc content forage of group F on the expressions of IL-12 and NF-κB (group C, group E):Group C was the high zinc content group with high levels of zinc pair-fed diet and OVA stimulated. Group E was the normal zinc content group with normal levels of zinc pair-fed diet and OVA stimulated.2. Do HE staining to lung tissues from mice to observe inflammation reaction, detect the expressions of IL-12 and NF-κB in all mice lung tissues with immunohistochemistry.Results1. HE staining:the inflammation of lung tissue and bronchia bronchus which were from the low zinc content group (Group F) were more obvious than other groups.2. Compared with group A, the expression of IL-12 on group B, C D, E and F were statisticaly decreased (P<0.05), but NF-κB were statisticaly increased (P<0.05).3. Compared with group A, B, C, D and E, the expression of IL-12 on group F were statisticaly reduced (P<0.05), but NF-κB were statisticaly increased (P<0.05).4. There were no statisticaly differences (P>0.05) between group B and D on IL-12 expression, but NF-κB were statisticaly increased (P<0.05), the same as between group C and E.5. The differences of expressions of IL-12 and NF-κB between Group B and its pair-fed group were not statistical (P>0.05), the same as the group D.Conclusion1. Insufficiency of zinc intake may lead to increased airway inflammation.2. Insufficiency of zinc intake can aggravate the decrease of IL-12 generating and increase of NF-κB generating in airway tissues of mice models of asthma.