Diana L. Marquardt

Lysophosphatidylcholine induces mast cell secretion and protein kinase C activation

Lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC), a natural product of phospholipase A2 activity, induced the secretion of both granule-associated beta-hexosaminidase and newly generated leukotriene C4 from mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells. Micromolar concentrations of lyso-PC potentiated the release of beta-hexosaminidase induced by specific antigen but not the calcium ionophore, A23187. Exogenous adenosine was relatively ineffective in enhancing beta-hexosaminidase release from cells challenged with lyso PC. Lyso-PC caused a marked increase in intracellular free-calcium levels and induced the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). These effects could not be abrogated by a prolonged preincubation with pertussis toxin. Staurosporine, an inhibitor of PKC, partially inhibited the abilities of antigen and A23187 to induce beta-hexosaminidase release but was ineffective when lyso-PC was the secretagogue. Lyso-PC appears to activate mast cell PKC, but its ability to stimulate mast cell mediator release appears to be related to its ability to elevate intracellular free calcium concentrations.

Inhibition of protein kinase A fails to alter mast cell adenosine responsiveness

Adenosine activates adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C in mast cells and potentiates stimulated mediator release. To determine whether activation of adenylate cyclase is necessary for the effects of adenosine on the mast cell secretory process, a specific inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, KT5720, was used. Antigen and adenosine each induced a rapid increase in mast cell cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity within 30 s. Preincubation with KT5720 (100 nM–10 μM) suppressed cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity and inhibited antigen-stimulated β-hexosaminidase and leukotriene C4 releases. Adenosine retained its ability to potentiate β-hexosaminidase release in antigen- and A23187-stimulated cells even in the presence of complete cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibition. Mast cells rendered unresponsive to adenosine-related signals by preincubation with adenosine analogs maintained this hyporesponsiveness after incubation with KT5720. It appears that the abilities of adenosine to augment mast cell degranulation and induced receptor hyporesponsiveness are independent of changes in cAMP.

[3H]Adenosine binding to rat mast cells--pharmacologic and functional characterization.

Rat serosal mast cell adenosine receptors were characterized by [3H]adenosine binding to cell membrane particulates, and functional changes in mast cell mediator release and cyclic AMP levels were assessed, utilizing various adenosine analogs. [3H]adenosine binding to sonicated mast cell membrane preparations at 0°C in the presence of deoxycoformycin is linear with initial cell number, rapid and reversible. The cells display 16,400±1600 high affinity [3H]adenosine binding sites/cell, equivalent to 118 fmol bound/mg protein, with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 27.97±3.0 nM. Competition studies reveal that adenosine>2-chloroadenosine>NECA>l-PIA>d-PIA in competing for [3H]adenosine binding sites and that aminophylline and cromolyn sodium also bind to the putative receptor. Adenosine and its analogs, NECA, andl-PIA, appear to activate adenylate cyclase in resting mast cells by raising cyclic AMP, suggesting anRa cell surface adenosine receptor subtype; these same analogs potentiate mast cellb-hexosaminidase release stimulated by specific antigen. The identification of rat mast cell [3H]adenosine binding sites whose stimulation augments resting cell cyclic AMP levels and antigen-induced mediator release suggests that these receptors may be important in the biochemical mechanisms of allergic diseases. The ability to assess the number and affinity of mast cell adenosine receptors will enable one to monitor receptor alterations during pharmacologic manipulation and in disease states.

Inhibition of mast cell adenosine responsiveness by chronic exposure to adenosine receptor agonists

Mast cell adenosine receptors are up-regulated functionally and numerically by chronic exposure to receptor antagonists, but their response to long-term treatment with receptor agonists has not been studied. To address this issue cultured mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells were exposed to N-ethylcarboxamide adenosine (NECA), an adenosine receptor agonist that augments stimulated mast cell mediator release. Cells grown for 3 days in 1 nM NECA responded normally to A23187 or antigen in releasing beta-hexosaminidase, but the ability of exogenous adenosine to potentiate this mediator release was attenuated markedly. This inhibition of adenosine responsiveness was partially present after 10 min of 1 microM NECA exposure and complete after 4 hr. The inhibitory effects could be reversed by washing NECA-exposed cells and returning them to culture for more than 4 hr. The adenosine present in the fetal calf serum coupled with deoxycoformycin attenuated mast cell adenosine responsiveness. The NECA-treated cells also exhibited a hyporesponsiveness to adenosines augmentation of cell cyclic AMP content. This hyporesponsiveness was specific for adenosine receptors in that exogenous isoproterenol was able to increase cyclic AMP levels to a similar degree in both control and NECA-treated cells. Thus, chronic NECA exposure induces a homologous desensitization of mast cell adenosine receptors.

Aminophylline exposure alters mouse bone marrow-derived mast cell adenosine responsiveness

Aminophylline-treated mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells exhibit a hyperresponsiveness to adenosine addition (10(-6) to 10(-4) mol/L) at the time of secretagogue challenge coincident with an up regulation of adenosine receptor numbers. This effect on beta-hexosaminidase release is maximal at 100 mumol/L of aminophylline, evident after 5 days of aminophylline exposure, and reversed by 6 days after washing. Neither radiolabeled arachidonic acid nor leukotriene C4 release in the absence or presence of adenosine was altered by aminophylline treatment. Although cAMP levels were dynamically changed by adenosine or secretagogue, these changes were not different in the two cell populations; resting and challenged mast cell adenosine levels were similarly unaffected by aminophylline. The long-term action of aminophylline on mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells appears to be primarily on adenosine receptors and thereby on preformed mediators, and this action may have some importance in the pathophysiology and treatment of asthma.

Modulation of mast cell responses to adenosine by agents that alter protein kinase C activity

The acute incubation of mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells with low concentrations of agents known to activate protein kinase C [phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (diC8), and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol (OAG)] caused an enhancement of beta-hexosaminidase release stimulated by the calcium ionophore A23187. Higher concentrations of protein kinase C activators tended to inhibit A23187- or antigen-induced preformed mediator release. All concentrations studied induced a striking mast cell hyporesponsiveness to the mediator release augmenting effect of adenosine. Agents that have been reported to block protein kinase C activity [1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methyl-piperazine dihydrochloride (H-7) and sphingosine] demonstrated diverse responses in this system. Up to 100 microM H-7 failed to affect mast cell beta-hexosaminidase release in the presence or absence of PMA and secretagogue. Sphingosine (10 microM) was a potent inhibitor of antigen- or A23187-induced mediator release as well as adenosine responsiveness. Sphingosine also blocked the effects of PMA noted above in a dose-dependent fashion. The generation of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) by stimulated mast cells surprisingly was not affected by concentrations of diC8 that significantly inhibited granule-associated mediator release. Translocation of protein kinase C activity from the cytosol to the mast cell membrane was evident in cells briefly pretreated with A23187, adenosine alone, and diC8 in the presence of Tyrodes buffer, A23187, or adenosine. These findings lend further support to the contention that signal transduction from mast cell adenosine receptors to processes that regulate degranulation may involve protein kinase C.

Alteration of mast cell responsiveness to adenosine by pertussis toxin

Adenosine potentiates mouse bone marrow-derived mast cell mediator release by a mechanism that appears to involve cell surface adenosine receptors. In an attempt to explore possible interactions between G proteins and adenosine receptors, mast cells were incubated with activated pertussis toxin, an agent that ADP-ribosylates and inactivates some G protein subtypes, prior to challenge with specific antigen or the calcium ionophore A23187. Mast cells preincubated with 10 ng/ml pertussis toxin for at least 2 hr exhibited an inhibition of antigen-induced beta-hexosaminidase and leukotriene C4 release. The ability of adenosine to potentiate beta-hexosaminidase release was attenuated to an even greater degree by pertussis toxin. A23187-stimulated mediator release was not altered by pertussis toxin, although a modest inhibition of the ability of adenosine to enhance A23187-induced beta-hexosaminidase release was observed in pertussis toxin-treated mast cells. Although up to 24-hr exposure to 100 ng/ml pertussis toxin did not alter resting mast cell cyclic AMP levels, the ability of adenosine to elevate cell cyclic AMP concentrations was diminished markedly by doses of the toxin higher than those required to affect mediator release. Neither antigen-stimulated intracellular free calcium level augmentation alone nor the additional potentiation of these levels by adenosine was changed by pertussis toxin treatment. Inositol trisphosphate was generated by mast cells stimulated by IgE-mediated mechanisms, but a preincubation with pertussis toxin did not influence its generation. In summary, adenosine appeared to produce some of its alterations in mast cell biochemical events by a mechanism that was partially inhibited by pertussis toxin. The nature of the G protein linked to the mast cell adenosine receptor is yet to be determined.

Mast cell adenosine induced calcium mobilization via Gi3 and Gq proteins.

Adenosine is an important mediator of mast cell secretory responses. Adenosine appears to act through one or more adenosine receptor subtypes to activate several signal transduction pathways; however, the specific mechanisms involved are not clearly defined. We studied the pathways involved in adenosine receptor-mediated calcium fluxes in RBL-2H3 cells, a mucosal mast cell-like line. The role of endogenous heterotrimeric G proteins in adenosine mediated calcium mobilization was investigated by microinjection of inhibitory antibodies that block specific G protein subtype function. The calcium transients associated with adenosine and antigen stimulation were compared in noninjected cells and cells that were microinjected with affinity purified neutralizing antibodies to the α subunits of Gi3, Gq, or Gs. The percentage of cells responding to adenosine was decreased in the presence of antibodies to Gi3 and Gq, but not Gs. Pertussis toxin decreased the percentage of cells responding to adenosine, but not antigen. These studies demonstrated a functional requirement for the pertussis toxin sensitive Gi3 protein and the pertussis toxin insensitive Gq protein in adenosine mediated calcium mobilization in mast cells.

Inhibition of mast cell mediator release by 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside☆

Abstract Stimulated mast cells produce and release adenosine, and the release of mast cell mediators is potentiated by adenosine, yet very little is known regarding mast cell purine metabolism. Because 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside (AICA riboside) has been shown to alter adenosine metabolism and accelerate the repletion of ATP pools in other tissues, its effects on mast cell function were examined. Neither simultaneous addition of A23187 and AICA riboside nor a 1-hr preincubation with AICA riboside altered mast cell β-hexosaminidase release to an appreciable degree. However, mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells cultured for 2 or more days in the presence of 1–100 μM AICA riboside exhibited a markedly attenuated mediator release response to A23187 compared to control cells with or without the additional presence of adenosine. IgE-mediated leukotriene C4 generation from AICA riboside-exposed mast cells was even more profoundly inhibited without affecting cell viability or resting mediator content. An unusual ribonucleotide triphosphate previously identified in folate-depleted cells, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β- d -ribofuranosyl 5′-triphosphate (ZTP), has been identified in AICA riboside-treated mast cells as well. Although the mechanism of this global inhibition of mast cell mediator release by chronic AICA riboside treatment is not clear, alterations in mast cell purine metabolism may prove to be important in the treatment of allergic diseases.

Antagonism of airway reactivity induced by ovalbumin antigen in guinea pigs by 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside

The effect of 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside (AICA riboside), a modulator of purine metabolism, was studied on antigen-induced bronchospasm in ovalbumin (OA)-sensitized guinea pigs. In separate experiments, sodium cromoglycate (SCG) and terbutaline were used to compare their effectiveness with that of AICA riboside (wt/vol). AICA riboside and SCG were administered as an aerosol daily for a minimum of 2 weeks before OA aerosol challenge. Terbutaline, as an aerosol, was administered once 5 minutes before OA challenge. Airway reactivity was determined through the use of a whole-body plethysmography by monitoring specific airway resistance (SRaw). OA aerosol challenge of 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.25% (wt/vol), administered for a period of 1 minute, increased SRaw. Each of the three agents attenuated the effect of OA on SRaw, although terbutaline demonstrated more consistency and potency as compared to either AICA riboside or SCG. However, at moderate degrees of OA challenge, AICA riboside appeared to be as effective as either agent. Although the mechanism of action of AICA riboside remains uncertain, it may have therapeutic benefit in the treatment of asthma or allergic diseases.