# The effect of the synthetic food additive tBHQ on food allergy in juvenile animals

> **NIH NIH R03** · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $78,250

## Abstract

Over the last several decades, there has been a steady rise in the prevalence of food allergy and other allergic
diseases in the U.S. and other industrialized countries. Of concern, the most rapid rise in food allergy has been
observed in children. Whereas the prevalence of food allergy is 3-4% in the overall population, it is 6-8%
among children. In addition, there has also been a concurrent rise in the severity of food allergy reactions
resulting in a greater number of hospitalizations. Although environmental factors are thought to play a
significant role in this alarming trend, the specific causative agent(s) remain to be identified. We recently
demonstrated that tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ), a synthetic food additive present in many processed foods,
promotes polarization of CD4 T cells towards the Th2 lineage, a key step in the development of allergy.
Furthermore, our preliminary studies demonstrate that tBHQ, at concentrations relevant to human exposure,
exacerbates food allergy in an animal model, suggesting a potential role for tBHQ in the increased prevalence
of food allergy in humans. For these studies, we utilized a unique model of food allergy that is adjuvant-free
and does not require injections. The animals are sensitized to food allergen via transdermal administration,
which results in a rapid rise in plasma levels of IgE and IgG1, antibodies associated with allergic response. It is
worth noting that infants and toddlers may also be sensitized to food allergen transdermally through prolonged
skin contact to food proteins through diaper wearing. A key limitation of our preliminary studies is that they
were conducted in adult animals, whereas the highest prevalence of food allergy occurs in children. Therefore,
a major goal of this proposal is to determine the effect of tBHQ on the immune response to food allergen in
juvenile animals. Our central hypothesis is that the synthetic food additive tBHQ increases IgE/IgG1 production
and exacerbates anaphylaxis in juvenile animals in response to food allergen. This hypothesis is based upon
our strong preliminary data showing that adult mice exposed to a low dose of tBHQ equivalent to that found in
the human diet, have a markedly increased immune response to food allergen, as evidenced by increased
plasma levels of IgE and IgG1, greater decrease in body temperature in response to oral challenge, increased
concentrations of mMCP-1 in plasma, increased mast cell degranulation, among other effects. We propose to
test our hypothesis by 1) developing and characterizing a model of food allergy in juvenile animals and 2) using
that model to determine the effect of tBHQ on the immune response to food allergen in juvenile animals.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10018897
- **Project number:** 5R03ES030766-02
- **Recipient organization:** MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Cheryl Elizabeth Rockwell
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $78,250
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-17 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10018897

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10018897, The effect of the synthetic food additive tBHQ on food allergy in juvenile animals (5R03ES030766-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10018897. Licensed CC0.

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