Anne Morel

Correlation between symptoms and the threshold for release of mediators in nasal secretions during nasal challenge with grass-pollen grains

Nasal challenges with pollen grains represent one of the techniques of provocation. However, the clinical criteria of positivity are not clearly established. Nasal challenges with increasing numbers of orchard-grass pollen grains were performed in 60 patients allergic to grass pollens and 20 normal subjects. Before any challenge, the nose was washed three times with saline and then lactose, and 50, 150, 450, 1350, and 4050 orchard-grass pollen grains were insufflated into the nostrils until a symptom score of 5 was reached. This score was mainly based on major symptoms of allergic rhinitis, for example, rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, sneezes, and to a lesser extent, on minor symptoms, such as pruritus, conjunctivitis, and pharyngitis. Nasal secretions were obtained after each challenge by lavage. Histamine was titrated by a radioimmunoassay with a monoclonal antibody against acylated histamine. Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) was assayed with an enzyme immunoassay with a polyclonal antibody against PGD2 methoxamine. None of the normal subjects had a symptom score greater than 2; 55/60 patients had a positive challenge. The release of PGD2 was significantly (p less than 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test) correlated with a symptom score of 5; 74.5% of patients had a significant release of PGD2 in nasal secretions. In contrast, although 58.2% of patients had a release of histamine in nasal secretions when the challenge was positive, the correlation with symptom scores was not significant. PGD2 in nasal secretions increased 3.7-fold after a positive nasal challenge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antiallergic activity of H1-receptor antagonists assessed by nasal challenge

Most oral drugs used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis are classified as H1-receptor antagonists, and although they represent major sales throughout the world, their mechanism of action is still poorly known. In an attempt to understand better the in vivo therapeutic effects of these drugs, a double-blind, crossover study was carried out. The study compared the effects of terfenadine and loratadine, nonsedative H1-receptor antagonists, on the immediate allergic response of the upper airways to challenge with orchard-grass pollens in 14 highly allergic subjects. Increasing numbers of pollen grains were insufflated into the nostrils, and the response of the subjects was assessed by examining symptoms and measuring the release of histamine and prostaglandin D2 in nasal secretions. Each drug was administered for a week before challenge. This study demonstrated the clinical efficacy of both drugs by comparison to that of a control day, since symptoms were observed for a significantly (p = 0.014) greater number of pollen grains. Only one patient had a significant release of histamine when they were treated with loratadine versus 10 during control day (p less than 0.0023) and six when they were treated with terfenadine (p less than 0.01). Prostaglandin D2 release occurred with a higher allergen dose when patients were treated with both drugs. This study indicates that some H1 antagonists also possess antiallergic activities.

Biochemical and Pharmacological Characterization of Serotonin‐O‐Carboxymethylglycyl[125I]Iodotyrosinamide5 a New Radioiodinated Probe for 5‐HT1B and 5‐HT1D Binding Sites

Abstract: There is a lack of radioactive probes, particularly radioiodinated probes, for the direct labeling of serotonin‐1B (5‐HT1B) and serotonin‐ID (5‐HT1D) binding sites. Serotonin‐0‐carboxymethylglycyltyrosinamide (S‐CM‐GTNH2) was shown previously to be specific for these two subtypes; we, therefore, linked a 125I to its tyrosine residue. Biochemical and pharmacological properties of S‐CM‐G[125I]TNH2‐binding sites were studied by quantitative au‐toradiography on rat and guinea pig brain sections. S‐CM‐G[I25I]TNH2 binding is saturable and reversible with a KD value of 1.3 nM in the rat and 6.4 nM in the guinea pig. Binding is heterogeneous, paralleling the anatomical distribution of 5‐HT1B sites in the rat and of 5‐HTD sites in the guinea pig. The binding of 0.02 nM S‐CM‐G[125I]TNH2 was inhibited by low concentrations of 5‐HT, S‐CM‐GTNH2, CGS 12066 B, 5‐methoxytryptamine, and tryptamine in both species. Propranolol inhibited the radioligand binding with a greater affinity in the rat than in the guinea pig. Conversely, 8‐hydroxy‐2‐(di‐n‐propylamino)tetralin inhibited S‐CM‐G[125I]TNH2 binding with a greater affinity in the guinea pig than in the rat. Other competitors, specific for 5‐HT,c, 5‐HT2, 5‐HT3, and adrenergic receptors, inhibited S‐CM‐G[125I]TNH2 binding in rat and guinea pig substantia nigra and in other labeled structures known to contain these receptors, but only at high concentrations. S‐CM‐G[I25I]TNH2 is then a useful new probe for the direct study of 5‐HT1B and 5‐HT1D binding sites.