Chicago based researchers have been using mice in a recent study to gain more understanding where allergies to peanuts are concerned.  Because animals are not normally allergic to any foods, a mouse had to be bred that would exhibit the same symptoms as a human when exposed to peanuts, In the typical human with peanut allergies the adverse reactions can range from mild hives to difficulty breathing and finally anaphylaxis.

Researchers hope that by creating an animal model that can exhibit these same symptoms that they will gain a better understanding of how food allergies cause these symptoms with an eye to preventing the allergies from occurring. Because animals normally do not exhibit these symptoms strong immune stimulants must be added to the food items to create the reactions seen in humans.

Instead of using the more common cholera toxin the team of researchers used a mixture of whole peanut extract (WPE) and a toxin from the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus, known as staphylococcal enterotoxin b (SEB) which causes an anaphylactic reaction in the mouse similar to that in a human. The concept behind using the Staphylococcus Aureus is that there is some history of connection between people with food allergies and those with eczema and sinusitis.

The results noted by the researchers showed that by using this mixture they were finally able to induce allergic reactions in the mice, these reactions included swelling around the eyes and mouth along with impaired movement and marked difficulty breathing. When blood levels were checked these mice were found to have high levels of histamine a common indicator of an allergic reaction.

Researchers also found these mice to have high than usual levels of eosinophils, which are the white blood cells commonly associated with the inflammation that occurs with an allergic reaction. They now hope that these mice can be used to help the medical community gain a better understand of what causes some of us to have food allergies and what can be done to alter human body’s immune system to stop it from triggering allergic reactions to food.