Dual inhibitory action of nedocromil sodium on antigen-induced inflammation.

In human lung tissue in vitro, nedocromil sodium inhibited the release of histamine and leukotrienes induced by anti-IgE, as well as the contraction of isolated bronchi which followed this challenge. In the hamster cheek pouch in vivo, nedocromil sodium inhibited the inflammatory response induced by challenge with either antigen or the individual inflammatory mediators, histamine and leukotriene B4. The findings thus indicate that nedocromil sodium has a dual anti-inflammatory action: inhibition of mediator secretion and antagonism of mediator action.

Characteristics of beta-endorphin-induced histamine release from rat serosal mast cells. Comparison with neurotensin, dynorphin and compound 48/80.

Rat peritoneal mast cells were exposed to the neurohormone and basic opioid peptide beta-endorphin. beta-Endorphin induced a dose-dependent release of histamine from the mast cells. A significant histamine release was found at 5 mumol/l of beta-endorphin and maximal release (35% of total) at 20 mumol/l. The histamine release process was very rapid and terminated within 30 s at 37 C, and in this sense is very similar to the histamine release induced by compound 48/80 or neurotensin. The histamine release was temperature-dependent showing an optimum release around 30 C, and it was independent of available extracellular calcium, but was inhibited in the presence of high extracellular calcium concentrations. Naloxone, only in very high concentrations (10 mmol/l), inhibited the release, and the very same concentration also inhibited the neurotensin - as well as the compound 48/80-induced histamine release. Cromoglycate and benzalkoniumchloride, a 48/80 antagonist, both produced a progressive dose-dependent inhibition of beta-endorphin-, neurotensin- as well as compound 48/80-induced histamine release. Taken together, the findings indicate that the opioid peptide beta-endorphin induces a selective, energy-dependent release of histamine from peritoneal rat mast cells. The pattern of release has much in common with that of compound 48/80 and other basic peptides, such as neurotensin and substance P. In addition this pattern of release is similar to that induced by dynorphin.

Effects of beta-endorphin on rat mast cells.

The endogenous opioid peptide beta-endorphin induced a dose-dependent release of histamine from rat peritoneal mast cells. The threshold concentration was around 10(-6) M and the optimal concentration of 2 X 10(-5) M released 35% of the total histamine. The release of histamine was very rapid, complete within 10 s, and very similar to that induced by neurotensin or compound 40/80. The histamine release was temperature dependent and inhibited at increased extracellular calcium concentrations. Taken together, the findings indicate that the release of histamine induced by beta-endorphin is a specific, energy-dependent process. The pattern of release has much in common with that induced by other basic peptides, such as neurotensin, dynorphin and substance P.

The histamine-releasing effect of dynorphin and other peptides possessing Arg-Pro sequences.

The basic opioid peptide dynorphin was tested for histamine-releasing activity on peritoneal rat mast cells. Dynorphin was found to induce a dose-dependent histamine release from the mast cells. The threshold concentration was 2 X 10(-7) M and release was maximal (40% of total) at 2 X 10(-6) M of the peptide. The dynorphin-induced histamine release was a very rapid process completed within 10 seconds at 37 degrees C. The release was independent of extracellular calcium. Experiments with naloxone and a specific kappa-agonist (U-50,488H) gave results indicating that the dynorphin induced histamine release was probably not mediated through opioid kappa-receptors. A couple of other Arg-Pro containing peptides of different origin were also screened for histamine-releasing activity. Most of these peptides elicited a more or less pronounced histamine release, provided the peptide contained more than 5 amino acids, suggesting that the Arg-Pro sequence is of importance for the histamine-releasing effect of peptides such as dynorphin.

Potentiation of anaphylactic histamine release from isolated rat pleural mast cells by rat serum phospholipids.

Isolation of sensitized rat mast cells by density gradient centrifugation in Ficoll decreases the histamine release obtained when they are subsequently exposed to antigen. The histamine release from such isolated cells is potentiated by the addition of 2% boiled rat serum. This potentiation is dose-dependent and has a temperature optimum of about 25 degrees C. The potentiating activity was localized to the serum phospholipid fraction. Of the pure phospholipids studies (LPC, PC, PE, PI, PS and SM) only phosphatidylserine and lysophosphatidylcholine were found to potentiate the histamine release. The mechanism behind this potentiation is discussed and it is suggested that the potentiation by phosphatidylserine and lysophosphatidylcholine is due to a requirement of these phospholipids for the ion exchange (Na+, K+ and Ca++) or the adenylcyclase activity essential for the histamine release process.

Relationship between serum IgE levels and anaphylactic histamine release from isolated rat mast cells.

Inbred Hooded Lister rats were immunized with egg albumin with B. pertussis vaccine used as an adjuvant. The serum levels of total IgE and IgE antibody (egg albumin specific) were determined by radioimmunoassay techniques before and after immunization. The basic level of total IgE in serum was 560 +/- 110 ng/ml. After immunization a maximal peak at day 11 of 1940 +/- 160 ng/ml was registered. Anti-egg albumin IgE antibody showed a maximum around day 13 of 75 +/- 11 units/ml. Pleural mast cells were isolated on Ficoll between day 14 and 20 after immunization. A significant negative correlation between the basic total IgE level and histamine release by antigen (egg albumin) was found and also a significant positive correlation of specific IgE antibody (determined at day 11) and histamine release. The correlation between IgE level and histamine release was slightly improved if instead the ratio of specific IgE antibody over total IgE was used.

Incorporation of choline, serine, ethanolamine and inositol into phospholipids of isolated rat mast cells.

The incorporation of labelled phospholipid precursors, [Me-14C]-choline, L-[3(-14)C]-serine, [2(-14)C]-ethanolamine and [2(-3)H]-myoinositol into the phospholipids of isolated rat mast cells was studied. The label from the different precursors were found to be essentially associated with compounds with the t.1.c.-motility of the respective phospholipids. Whereas the incorporation of [Me(-14)c]-choline and L-[3(-14)C]-serine showed evidence of saturation the incorporation of [2(-14)C]-ethanolamine was linear with time (2 h) and it was not saturated by increasing the concentration from 0.07 mM to 2.07 mM. The incorporation of [2(-3)H]-myoinositol was stimulated by Ca2+ (1 mM) or Mg2+ (1 mM), while the incorporation of the other precursors was stimulated only in the presence of both Ca2+ and Mg2+ (1 mM). Antimycin A (1muM), an inhibitor of the respiratory chain, significantly ingibited the incorporation of [Me(-14)c]-choline, L-[3(-14)C]-serine and [2(-3)H]-myoinositol but not that of [2(-14)C]-ethanolamine. The experimental system used might be a useful model for studies on the turnover of membrane phospholipids during histamine release.

On the mechanism by which theophylline inhibits histamine release from rat mast cells.

Theophylline (2.5 mM) did not influence the spontaneous release of histamine but inhibited histamine release induced by antigen, compound 48/80 or phosphatidylserine. The effect on 48/80-induced histamine release could not be reversed by increasing extracellular Ca2+. Exogenous adenosine (10(-8) to 10(-4) M) did not influence spontaneous histamine release or 48/80-induced release but potentiated antigen-induced release. The adenosine potentiation was competitively inhibited by theophylline in concentrations (10(-5) to 10(-4) M) lower than those required to inhibit antigen-induced histamine release in the absence of adenosine. In order to see if endogenous adenosine levels are high enough to potentiate an anaphylactic histamine release in vivo, adenosine was determined in mast cell incubates and in plasma from 4 different strains of rat. The levels were 0.18 to 0.99 microM in plasma, which is sufficient to cause significant potentiation of histamine release, but only 3 x 10(-8) M in mast cell incubates. Theophylline (2.5 mM) increased cAMP levels about 100%, whereas adenosine (10(-5) M) had little effect on cAMP and cGMP levels. However, when incubated together, adenosine could inhibit the theophylline-induced increase in cAMP levels but not the inhibition of histamine release. It is concluded that the effect of low concentrations of theophylline could be due partly to antagonism of adenosine effects. In addition, in higher doses, theophylline appears to exert an inhibitory action that is unrelated to cyclic nucleotides, extracellular calcium and adenosine.

Total serum IgE influence on the anaphylactic and 48/80 induced histamine release from isolated rat mast cells.

We have investigated the influence of non-specific IgE on histamine release induced by antigen or compound 48/80. Our results indicate that increased amounts of IgE influence antigen mediated histamine release as well as release induced by a non-immunological stimulus like compound 48/80.

Are the anti-allergic actions of theophylline due to antagonism at the adenosine receptor.

Adenosine potentiated anaphylactic histamine release from isolated rat mast cells in a dose-dependent manner between 10(-8) and 10(-5) M. Adenosine was found to be present during a normal incubation of mast cells, but the concentration was low (2 x 10(-8) M). In rat plasma the concentration was 1.5 x 10(-7) M. The effect of 10(-5) M adenosine was dose-dependently inhibited by theophylline. 50% inhibition was found at 3 x 10(-5) M theophylline. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibition required much higher concentrations (IC50 approximately 10(-3) M). It is suggested that some of the anti-allergic actions of theophylline (clinical concentration range: 10(-5) M) does not involve cyclic nucleotides but may be due to inhibition of the effects of endogenous adenosine.

Effect of sensitization and non-antibody IgE on 48/80 induced histamine release from isolated rat mast cells.

Histamine release from isolated rat mast cells from non-immunized and immunized Hooded Lister rats was induced by compound 48/80. The histamine release was decreased with a lower maximum at the optimal concentration of 48/80 when using cells from immunized rats compared to non-immunized control rats. The stimulation of IgE antibody production, after immunization using B. pertussis as an adjuvant was also accompanied by an elevation of total serum IgW. The 48/80 induced histamine release from Sprague Dawley mast cells was not inhibited by immunization. Non-antibody IgE showed a non-competitive inhibition of 48/80 induced histamine release when myeloma IgE was incubated with mast cells from both Hooded Lister and Sprague Dawley rats. The results indicate the existence of different receptors for IgE and 48/80.

Evidence against a role of cyclic nucleotides in the regulation of anaphylactic histamine release in isolated rat mast cells.

The effect of different phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors on the antigen or 48/80 induced histamine release from isolated Hooded Lister rat mast cells was tested. The unselective PDE inhibitors theophylline (2.5 mM) and IBMX (0.2 mM) and the selective cyclic GMP PDE inhibitor M & B 22948 (0.1 mM) inhibited the antigen induced histamine release by 50% while 48/80 induced release was inhibited by about 25%. The cyclic AMP selective PDE inhibitors ICI 63197 (0.5 mM) or Ro 20-1724 (0.2 mM) had no effect on 48/80 induced histamine release but tended to enhance antigen induced release. There was no correlation between the measured levels of cyclic AMP and the effect on histamine release by the investigated PDE inhibitors. Cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP up to 10(-3) M did not affect the anaphylactic histamine release. Dibutyryl-cAMP and dibutyryl-cGMP (10(-4) M) both inhibited the release about 20% but this effect could be explained by the effect of butyric acid as sodium butyrate (2 X 10(-4) M) also inhibited the release by 20%. The presence results suggest that cyclic nucleotides are not important regulators of histamine release from isolated mast cells.

Histamine secretion induced by neuromedin-N.

Neuromedin-N dose-dependently stimulated the release of histamine from rat serosal mast cells and was 10 to 100 times less potent than neurotensin. The threshold concentration was 10(-6) M, and 10(-3) M neuromedin-N released 31% of the total cell histamine content. The histamine release induced by neuromedin-N was temperature-dependent with an optimum around 30-37 degrees C. Skin vascular permeability increased dose-dependently in response to intradermal injections of neuromedin-N and this peptide was 10 to 100 times less potent than neurotensin. Mepyramine inhibited the effect on vascular permeability suggesting that the effect of neuromedin-N was mediated via the release of histamine.

Exposure to carbachol induces several changes in muscarinic cholinergic parameters in N1E-115 mouse neuroblastoma cells.

Mouse N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells were used to study carbachol induced changes in muscarinic cholinergic parameters. Cells were treated with carbachol (1 mM) for up to 96 hours. The number of muscarinic receptors, measured in 3H-3-quinuclidinyl benzilate binding experiments, decreased approximately 50% after 4 hours exposure to carbachol. This was followed by an increase in binding sites, and after 24 hours the number of binding sites was the same as in control cells. The changes observed in the choline esterase activity followed the same pattern. The increase in number of binding sites was not dependent on protein synthesis, while the increase in choline esterase activity was. The muscarinic receptor-stimulated uptake of 45Ca2+ showed an initial decrease, which was followed by a significantly increased basal uptake of 45Ca2+. It is suggested that all these changes are adaptations of long time exposure to carbachol.

Non-muscarinic effects of scopolamine on N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells.

Membrane effects of scopolamine on N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells were studied using intracellular recording techniques. Scopolamine in concentrations of 50 nM-1 microM induced a depolarization together with a decreased cell input resistance. This response had a reversal potential at +10 to +20 mV in a medium with normal sodium concentration (146.5 mM), and a reversal potential around -10 mV when the sodium concentration in the medium was lowered to 80 mM. The scopolamine-induced depolarization could not be blocked by carbachol (100 microM), and had a reversal potential at +10 to +20 mV. The simplest explanation of the results obtained is that scopolamine increases the membrane permeability for sodium and potassium, in a manner which is not related to muscarinic cholinergic receptors.

Effect of sensitization on spontaneous and phosphatidylserine-induced histamine release and on cyclic AMP and GMP levels in isolated rat mast cells.

Sprague Dawley rats were sensitized with 20 microgram or 100 mg egg albumin (using pertussis vaccine as adjuvant). Mast cells isolated from the former group of animals showed a higher degree of histamine release upon challenge in vitro with egg albumin than those from the latter group. Using the lower amount of antigen for immunization mast cells from Hooded Lister rats showed an even higher degree of histamine release induced by antigen. An increased antigen-induced histamine release was associated with an increased spontaneous and phosphatidylserine-induced histamine release. Histamine release induced by phosphatidylserine was found to be specific in so far as it was calcium dependent and theophylline-inhibited. The basal level of cyclic AMP in mast cells was significantly depressed by sensitization. There was a relationship between the cyclic AMP/cyclic GMP ratio and the degree of spontaneous, phosphatidylserine-induced and anaphylactic histamine release. The results suggest that sensitization induces an increased release of histamine not only to the specific antigenic stimulus but also to more unspecific stimuli. Concomitantly there is a fall in the cyclic AMP/cyclic GMP ratio. The relationship between these two phenomena is discussed.

Prostaglandin E2 prevents diclofenac-induced enhancement of histamine release and inflammation evoked by in vivo challenge with compound 48/80 in the hamster cheek pouch.

Based on observations obtained by the use of intravital microscopy, we report that prostaglandins (PGs) can exert inhibitory effects on mast cell-dependent inflammation. Thus, the PG-synthesis inhibitors diclofenac and indomethacin potentiated extravasation of plasma evoked by challenge with the mast cell secretagogue compound 48/80. Although the plasma leakage induced by compound 48/80 was in large mediated by histamine, neither diclofenac nor indomethacin potentiated the plasma leakage caused by exogenous histamine. These findings indicated that endogenous PGs inhibited the mast cell-dependent reaction at the level of mediator release. This mode of action was confirmed, as diclofenac was found to enhance the in vivo release of histamine that ensued challenge with compound 48/80. Moreover, the enhancement of the response to compound 48/80 observed after diclofenac treatment was prevented by local administration of PGE2 (30 nM). This inhibition included both the histamine release and the plasma leakage. In addition, diclofenac enhanced the leukocyte emigration after compound 48/80 challenge, and PGE2 reversed also this effect, suggesting that endogenous PGs (e.g. PGE2) also inhibited the release of chemotactic mediators.

Stimulation of histamine release by the peptide kinetensin.

The peptide kinetensin isolated from pepsin-treated human plasma induced a dose-dependent release of histamine when exposed to rat peritoneal mast cells. The threshold concentration was around 10(-6) M, the ED50 was 10(-5) M, and the optimal concentration of between 10(-4) to 10(-3) M released 80% of the total histamine. Kinetensin was 10 to 100 times less potent than neurotensin and equipotent with the opioid peptide dynorphin. The histamine release was clearly temperature-dependent, with no release occurring at 0 degrees or 45 degrees C and with an optimum around 37 degrees C. The histamine release was significantly reduced in the absence of extracellular calcium. Kinetensin also induced a dose-dependent increase in vascular permeability when injected intradermally into rats. The findings indicate that kinetensin is a potent histamine releaser in the rat and may serve as an inflammatory mediator.

Stimulus-dependence and time-course of histamine and leukotriene release from chopped and dispersed human lung tissue.

The calcium ionophore A23187 and anti-human IgE provoked a dose-dependent release of histamine and cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4) from dispersed human lung cells. Optimal release of histamine peaked at 3 min after challenge whereas the release of cysteinyl-leukotrienes peaked at 30 min. The molar ratio between released histamine and cysteinyl-leukotrienes was approximately 100:1. The ionophore, but not anti-IgE caused additional formation of LTB4 in the dispersed cells or the chopped lung, indicating that this chemoattractant is formed from cells not primarily activated by IgE-dependent mechanisms. Indomethacin failed to alter release of histamine or leukotrienes from dispersed cells, whereas further inhibition of lipoxygenases by NDGA abolished leukotriene formation and reduced the release of histamine.