Potentiation of vancomycin-induced histamine release by muscle relaxants and morphine in rats. (25/982)

The intravenous injection of vancomycin sometimes causes anaphylactoid reactions, in which histamine release may play a major role. These reactions are more frequently manifested when vancomycin is injected into anesthetized patients. We examined the vancomycin-induced histamine release and the interaction of vancomycin with muscle relaxants or opioid in rats. In an in vitro study with rat peritoneal mast cells, treatment with vancomycin at concentrations of greater than 1.25 mM produced significant histamine release. Tubocurarine, vecuronium, pancuronium, succinylcholine, and morphine up to concentrations of 0.25, 1, 5, 30, and 5 mM, respectively, produced no significant histamine release. However, the nonsignificant histamine release induced by 0.5 mM vancomycin was clearly enhanced by combining vancomycin with any of these agents. In the in vivo study, the intravenous injection of vancomycin significantly increased the plasma histamine levels in rats when vancomycin was injected at 200 mg/kg of body weight (63.2 +/- 34.0 ng/ml [mean +/- standard deviation]) but not when it was injected at 100 mg/kg (30.8 +/- 20.2 ng/ml) compared with that in the saline-treated rats (22.5 +/- 11.4 ng/ml). Although the subcutaneous administration of morphine (10 mg/kg) never increased the plasma histamine levels, the intravenous injection of vancomycin (100 mg/kg) 30 min after this morphine treatment markedly increased the plasma histamine levels (56.0 +/- 26.9 ng/ml). These findings provide experimental evidence that the combination of muscle relaxants or an opioid with vancomycin may increase the risk of anaphylactoid reactions by enhancing the release of histamine.  (+info)

Role of protein phosphatases in the regulation of human mast cell and basophil function. (26/982)

Many extracellular stimuli mediate physiological change in target cells by altering the phosphorylation state of proteins. These alterations result from the dynamic interplay of protein kinases, which mediate phosphorylations, and protein phosphatases, which catalyse dephosphorylations. The antigen-mediated aggregation of high-affinity receptors for IgE on mast cells and basophils triggers rapid changes in the phosphorylation of many proteins and culminates in the generation of inflammatory mediators involved in allergic inflammatory diseases such as asthma. Although protein kinases have an established role in this process, less is known about the involvement of protein phosphatases. This imbalance has been redressed in recent years by the availability of phosphatase inhibitors, such as okadaic acid, that facilitate investigations of the role of protein phosphatases in intact cells. Here we review a number of studies in which inhibitors of protein phosphatases have been used to shed light on the potential importance of these enzymes in the regulation of human mast cell and human basophil function.  (+info)

HIV-1 gp120 induces IL-4 and IL-13 release from human Fc epsilon RI+ cells through interaction with the VH3 region of IgE. (27/982)

HIV-1 glycoprotein (gp) 120 from different clades is a potent stimulus for IL-4 and IL-13 release from basophils purified from healthy individuals seronegative for Abs to HIV-1 and HIV-2. IL-4 mRNA, constitutively present in basophils, was increased after stimulation by gp120 and was inhibited cyclosporin A and tacrolimus. IL-4 and IL-13 secretion from basophils activated by gp120 was not correlated. There was a correlation between the maximum gp120- and anti-IgE-induced IL-4 release from basophils. The average t1/2 gp120-induced IL-4 release was lower than for IL-13 release. Basophils from which IgE had been dissociated by brief exposure to lactic acid no longer released IL-4 in response to gp120 or to anti-IgE. The response to a mAb cross-linking the alpha-chain of high-affinity receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon RI) was unaffected by this treatment. Three human VH3+ monoclonal IgM inhibited gp120-induced secretion of IL-4 from basophils. In contrast, VH6+ monoclonal IgM did not inhibit the release of IL-4 induced by gp120. Synthetic peptides distant from the NH2 and COOH termini of gp120MN inhibited the activating property of gp120MN. These results indicate that gp120, which acts as a viral superantigen, interacts with the VH3 region of IgE to induce the release of IL-4 and IL-13 from human Fc epsilon RI+ cells.  (+info)

Dual phase priming by IL-3 for leukotriene C4 generation in human basophils: difference in characteristics between acute and late priming effects. (28/982)

Previous studies have suggested that enhancement of mediator release from human basophils by IL-3 occurs in at least two phases, and the current studies further characterize the signaling changes that accompany these two phases of the basophil in response to IL-3. The test stimulus for these studies was anaphylatoxin split product of C component (C5a), which does not induce leukotriene C4 release without prior IL-3 treatment. Functionally, IL-3 priming occurs after 5 min, disappears by 2 h, and returns by 18 h. In contrast, the kinetics of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) phosphorylation, induced by IL-3, do not show the second rise by 18 h. The kinetics of cPLA2 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation following stimulation with C5a are the same for cells that were not treated with IL-3 as for those treated for 18 h, i.e., a lag in phosphorylation of cPLA2 and ERK1/2 lasting 30 s before its eventual rise. Previous studies showed that a 5-min treatment with IL-3 induced little change in the C5a-induced cytosolic calcium response, while 24 h of treatment resulted in a marked and sustained cytosolic calcium elevation during the C5a-induced response. The first phase of the IL-3 priming effect (5-15 min of treatment) was unaffected by cycloheximide, while the second phase (18 h) was inhibited. These data suggest that early IL-3 priming results from preconditioning cPLA2, i.e., causing its phosphorylation, while late priming results from a qualitative change in the cytosolic calcium response.  (+info)

Regulated exocytosis in immune function: are SNARE-proteins involved? (29/982)

Inflammation is an important feature in the pathogenesis of most chronic lung diseases. It is characterized by tissue infiltration with various inflammatory cells, including eosinophils, mast cells, basophils, macrophages, neutrophils, T- and B-lymphocytes and dendritic cells (1). In the tissue granulocytes release their toxic granule proteins after being stimulated by soluble mediators released by other inflammatory cells (2). Therefore, it is important to characterize the intracellular mechanisms regulating the transport of the granule contents in inflammatory cells. Intracellular vesicle-traffic in mammalian cells is mediated by transport vesicles that emerge from donor compartments and are specifically targeted to acceptor compartments where they deliver their contents after membrane fusion (3). This traffic leads to three types of fusion: vesicle-intracellular membranes, vesicle-vesicle or vesicle-plasma membrane. The process leading to fusion of vesicle-plasma membrane is called exocytosis, and it delivers proteins to the cell surface (receptors e.g. CD11b, CD18) and exports soluble molecules (mediators e.g. ECP) from the cell. A number of key proteins involved in regulated exocytosis have been identified from inflammatory cells. This review is a brief summary of these proteins and it includes recent results from studies on regulated exocytosis in inflammatory cells.  (+info)

Identification of a methylated tea catechin as an inhibitor of degranulation in human basophilic KU812 cells. (30/982)

We examined the constituents of tea that had an inhibitory effect on the degranulation process in the human basophilic cell line, KU812. Among the constituents purified from a extract of 'Benihomare' oolong tea by column chromatography, a methylated (-)-epigallocatechin gallate ((-)-epigallocatechin 3-O-(3-O-methyl) gallate) was found to inhibit the degranulation of KU812 cells that had been stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187. The inhibitory effect of this methylated (-)-epigallocatechin gallate on degranulation was greater than that of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate. This result indicates that methylation of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate may be an effective modification for the catechin to inhibit degranulation from human basophils.  (+info)

Shared features of transcription: mutational analysis of the eosinophil/basophil Charcot-Leyden crystal protein gene promoter. (31/982)

The lineage-specific Charcot-Leyden crystal (CLC) protein is found in human eosinophils and basophils where it comprises 7-10% of the cellular protein content. Previous work from our laboratory has identified the motif GGAGA[A/G] as a powerful enhancer of gene transcription ill two eosinophil ribonuclease genes. To evaluate a potentially larger role for this motif in the transcriptional regulation of eosinophil genes, we have isolated 1504 nucleotides 5' to the transcriptional start site of the gene encoding CLC protein and identified a functionally active promoter that includes three distinct copies of the GGAGAA motif. Destruction of only one of the three motifs by site-directed mutagenesis resulted in loss of promoter activity (73 +/- 6% reduction), suggesting that this core motif is necessary but not sufficient to support enhanced transcriptional activity. Sequence comparisons and site-specific mutagenesis has permitted further delineation of this enhancer element which, as a result of this work, is now defined as GGAGA[A/G]NNNA. Electromobility shift assays demonstrated specific binding of nuclear protein(s) from an eosinophilic clone-15 nuclear extract to this extended motif. Similar analysis of a GATA-1 binding site demonstrated enhancer activity, with mutagenesis resulting in a 94 +/- 1.4% reduction in activity, whereas the AML1 site functioned as a gene silencer.  (+info)

Genetic control of cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity. (32/982)

CBH to DNP-GL could be elicited only in responder guinea pigs which possess the genetic ability to develop classic delayed type hypersensitivity to DNP-PLL, the response to which is governed by the same gene. Since the defect in nonresponder animals seems to reside at the level of their T cells and not B cells, these results lend support to the contention that CBH, as well as DH, is dependent on and probably mediated by T cells.  (+info)