Aggravation of food allergy symptoms by treatment with acrylamide in a mouse model

Acrylamide (AA) forms during the thermal processing of food, but adversely affects human health. As the consumption of heat-processed foods increases, the potentially harmful effect of AA on food allergies needs to be clarified. Here, we investigated how AA affects the allergenicity of OVA in vivo using a mouse model of orally induced OVA allergy. AA enhanced OVA-induced food allergic response by increasing IgE, IgG, IgG1, histamine, and MCP-1. AA promoted the Th2 cell response to modulate the imbalance in Th1/Th2. Furthermore, AA reduced the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins, and disrupted the permeability of the intestine, which impaired the intestinal epithelial barrier, resulting in more OVA crossing it. These actions aggravated the allergic reaction of OVA. In conclusion, this study confirmed the potentially harmful effect of AA on food allergy.