Calorimetric Markers for Inflammation in in vivo Experimental Models

Abstract

In this work differential scanning calorimetry was applied to determine the specific calorimetric features of blood plasma proteome associated with immune response stimulation in experimental model (albino Wistar rats). The thermodynamic behavior of the blood plasma of male and female animals subjected to egg albumin (EA) treatment was investigated. The calorimetric profiles of blood plasma from EA treated rats exhibited reduced heat capacity of the albumin-assigned transition and up-shifted weighted average center of the thermogram as compared to healthy controls, the effect being more pronounced for male animals. Increase in the amplitude of the main transition at 70 oC was observed for female rats after EA treatment, which resulted in higher calorimetric enthalpy. Common feature of the thermograms of EA treated males and females was the broadening of the transitions above 75 oC and the appearance of exothermic transition above 90 oC due to protein aggregation. Our study clearly revealed gender-specific immune response in rats and contributes to better understanding of the correlation between the calorimetric features of blood plasma and the immunological conditions in the experimental animals.

Keywords

• chronic inflammation
• animal model
• differential scanning calorimetry
• blood plasma
• egg albumin