Human Lung Mast Cells Research Articles

Arachidonic acid metabolism in purified human lung mast cells.

Arachidonic acid metabolism has been explored in preparations of purified human lung mast cells prelabeled with arachidonic acid (AA). Cells were of 83 to greater than 96% purity, and each experiment was performed with four to six different preparations of mast cells. After overnight culture of the purified cells in the presence of 3H-AA, followed by extensive washing in buffer, mast cell uptake of labeled AA was 61.4 +/- 14.8 pmol/10(6) cells with 21 +/- 2.4% of the label in phospholipids, 73 +/- 2.1% in neutral lipids, and 3.6 +/- 0.8% as free AA. Analysis of the distribution of radioactivity in phospholipid classes revealed 51.4 +/- 5.5% of the label in phosphatidylcholine, 14.5 +/- 1.6% in phosphatidylinositol, 12.0 +/- 3.0% in phosphatidylethanolamine, and 9.1 +/- 2.4% in sphingomyelin, with the rest in other phospholipid classes. Challenge of these cells with an optimal concentration of anti-IgE led to the release of 20 +/- 4.0% of cellular histamine and to a reduction in labeled phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol to 75.5 +/- 8.8% and 84.2 +/- 4.5% of the control levels, respectively, (p less than 0.05); anti-IgE challenge produced no statistically significant change in the quantities of other labeled phospholipids. Activation of human lung mast cells with anti-IgE led to the release of 3.4 +/- 1.3% of the cellular 3H as AA and AA metabolites (1.5 +/- 0.6% as unmetabolized AA) in conjunction with 16 +/- 4.3% of the cellular histamine. Although activation of human lung mast cells with ionophore A23187 caused 70 +/- 1.1% histamine release, a similar quantity of AA and AA metabolites was released (a total of 4.0 +/- 0.8% with 2.3 +/- 1.5% as unmetabolized AA). Analysis of the released metabolites by liquid scintillation spectrometry after high performance liquid chromatography separation showed that approximately equal amounts of metabolites were produced after mast cell activation with anti-IgE and ionophore A23187. In this series of experiments approximately equal amounts of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products were generated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The human lung mast cell.

Mast cells are present in human lung tissue, pulmonary epithelium, and free in the bronchial lumen. By virtue of their location and their possession of specific receptors for IgE and complement fragments, these cells are sentinel cells in host defense. The preformed granular mediators and newly generated lipid mediators liberated upon activation of mast cells by a variety of secretagogues supply potent vasoactive-spasmogenic mediators, chemotactic factors, active enzymes, and proteoglycans to the local environment. These factors acting together induce an immediate response manifest as edema, smooth muscle constriction, mucus production, and cough. Later these mediators and those provided from plasma and leukocytes generate a tissue infiltrate of inflammatory cells and more prolonged vasoactive-bronchospastic responses. Acute and prolonged responses may be homeostatic and provide for defense of the host, but if excessive in degree or duration may provide a chronic inflammatory substrate upon which such disorders as asthma and pulmonary fibrosis may ensue.

Inhibition of IgE-mediated histamine release from human basophils and mast cells by fenoterol.

Fenoterol, a beta 2-adrenergic agonist recently introduced to treat asthmatic disorders, inhibits antigen-induced histamine release from human basophil leukocytes and lung mast cells in a dose-dependent fashion. The dose-response inhibition curve is paralleled by a fenoterol-induced increase in the cAMP levels of human leukocyte preparations. The relationship between the effect of fenoterol and cAMP level is supported by the finding that the beta 2-adrenergic agonist only inhibits the first stage of antigen-induced histamine release and not the release caused by the Ca2+ ionophore, A23187. Propranolol, a competitive antagonist of beta 2-adrenergic receptor, blocks the inhibition of release and the cAMP accumulation caused by fenoterol. Finally, theophylline, a cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, synergistically potentiates the inhibitory effect of fenoterol on histamine release and the accumulation of cAMP. These data suggest that fenoterol may modulate the in vivo release of the mediators of immediate hypersensitivity reactions via the activation of beta 2-adrenergic receptor linked to adenylate cyclase on human basophils and mast cells.

Lipid bodies: cytoplasmic organelles important to arachidonate metabolism in macrophages and mast cells.

Much has been learned about the biochemical nature and pharmacologic activity of the products of arachidonic acid (AA) oxidation, but relatively little is known about the structures in nucleated cells into which AA is incorporated and from which it is initially mobilized. To address this question, we administered 3H-AA or other 3H-fatty acids in vitro to human lung mast cells and alveolar macrophages as well as to mouse and guinea pig peritoneal macrophages. The subcellular distribution of 3H label was assessed by electron microscopic autoradiography, and the nature of cell-associated 3H-lipids was determined by thin layer chromatography. Autoradiographic analysis of human lung mast cells localized virtually all of the 3H-AA to cytoplasmic lipid bodies. Lipid bodies are roughly spherical, variable osmiophilic, nonmembrane-bound structures that appear in the cytoplasm of a wide variety of cells, but we have found that these lipid bodies occur with increased frequency in granulocytes, macrophages, and mast cells at sites of inflammatory, immunologic, or neoplastic processes. Macrophages also incorporated 3H-AA predominantly into cytoplasmic lipid bodies. In contrast to mast cells, however, macrophages incorporated 3H-AA into the plasma membrane as well. Stimulation of macrophage phagocytosis resulted in striking alterations of the relationships of lipid bodies to intracellular membranes, so that many lipid bodies appeared adjacent to phagolysosomes. In addition, some phagolysosomes contained 3H label, which along with other morphologic evidence suggested that lipid bodies may discharge their contents into these structures. Mast cell and macrophage cytoplasmic lipid bodies appear to represent a major site of intracellular storage and metabolism of products of AA and perhaps other fatty acids taken up from the external milieu. These heretofore neglected organelles may thus influence cellular function in a wide variety of adaptive or pathologic processes.

Heterogeneity of human mast cells.

Enzymatically dispersed human lung parenchymal cells were fractionated according to size by countercurrent centrifugation elutriation. Human lung mast cells eluted throughout the procedure indicating heterogeneity of mast cell diameters. In seven individual lung elutriations, the mean histamine content ranged from 2.5 +/- 0.5 pg/mast cell for the smallest diameter mast cells (8-10 microns) to 10 +/- 2.5 pg/mast cell for the largest (16-20 microns). Intermediate sized mast cells had correspondingly intermediate histamine contents. The maximum release of histamine after anti-IgE stimulation varied with mast cell size. Small mast cells consistently released less histamine (10 +/- 3.6% net) than the largest diameter mast cells (38 +/- 6% net). This differential histamine release could not be explained by cell surface IgE content which was similar in mast cells of all sizes. The concentration of anti-IgE for maximum histamine release was the same (2 micrograms/ml) for mast cells of all sizes. The generation of PGD2, the predominant cyclooxygenase metabolite of the human lung mast cell, also was correlated positively with mast cell size and to the quantity of histamine released. Studies to date indicate no clear pattern in agonist receptor activities as judged by the inhibition of histamine release by PgE2, the beta-adrenergic agonist, fenoterol, and adenosine. We conclude that human lung mast cells are heterogeneous with regard to size and function.

Effects of dexamethasone on mediator release from human lung fragments and purified human lung mast cells.

Purified human lung mast cells released histamine, leukotrienes, prostaglandin (PG) D2, thromboxane B2 (TxB2), and PGF2 alpha in response to anti-IgE stimulation. Incubation of the cells for 24 h with 10(-6) M dexamethasone, a treatment that inhibits mediator release from human basophils, had no effect on the release of these mediators from mast cells. Dexamethasone treatment of human lung fragments led to little or no inhibition of anti-IgE-induced release of the mast cell-derived mediator, histamine, but produced a significant inhibition of the release of PGE2, PGF2 alpha, and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. As was the case with purified mast cells, the steroid did not inhibit the release of PGD2 or TxB2 from human lung fragments. Comparison of the quantities of PGD2 and TxB2 produced by purified cells and human lung fragments reveals that the mast cells produce quantities of these metabolites sufficient to account for the entire amount produced by challenged lung fragments. Dexamethasone inhibited spontaneous release from lung fragments of all cyclooxygenase products measured. These results suggest that the human lung parenchymal mast cell phospholipase is not inhibited by dexamethasone, whereas other phospholipase(s) in the lung are inhibited by the steroid. These results may be useful in explaining the resistance of acute allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, to steroids, despite the potent antiinflammatory activity of steroids on subacute and chronic inflammation, such as in bronchial asthma, which may be initiated by IgE-dependent mechanisms.

Biochemical analysis of initial triggering events of IgE-mediated histamine release from human lung mast cells.

Mast cells were isolated from human lung tissues by counter current centrifugation elutriation, followed by flotation through Percoll gradients. Purified human mast cells released histamine upon challenge with anti-IgE. An optimal concentration of anti-IgE for maximum histamine release from human lung mast cells was comparable to that required for histamine release from normal human basophil granulocytes. Human lung mast cells could be passively sensitized with mouse monoclonal IgE antibody for antigen-induced histamine release. Bridging of cell-bound IgE molecules on human mast cells by anti-IgE or its F(ab')2 fragments induced phospholipid methylation and an increase in intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP). Incorporation of [3H]methyl groups into phospholipid reached a maximum at 30 sec after challenge with anti-IgE, whereas intracellular cAMP reached a maximum at 1 min. Both values declined to base line levels within 2 to 3 min. These biochemical events were followed by Ca2+ influx and histamine release. Ca2+ uptake and histamine release reached maximum at 2 to 3 min and 5 to 8 min, respectively. Neither phospholipid methylation nor initial rise in cAMP was inhibited by indomethacin, which indicates that these biochemical events are not the result of prostaglandin synthesis. However, inhibition of phospholipid methylation by inhibitors of S-adenosyl-L-methionine-mediated methylation, such as 3-deazaadenosine and S-isobutyryl 3-deazaadenosine, inhibited not only phospholipid methylation but also cAMP rise and subsequent Ca2+ uptake and histamine release. The results indicate that phospholipid methylation induced by bridging of IgE receptors on human mast cells is essential for Ca2+ influx and histamine release.

A study of histamine release from human basophils and lung mast cells by products of lymphocyte stimulation.

It has been previously reported by Thueson and his co-workers [1] that lymphokine-containing supernatant of cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with Concanavalin-A (Con-A) is capable of releasing histamine from human basophils. Here we confirm such findings, show that such release is additive to that due to immunological stimuli (Anti-IgE and antigen) and describe its characteristics and effect in lung tissue. The lymphokine was found to induce a small histamine release from chopped or enzyme-dispersed human lung tissue. As was the case with basophils, the release from lung tissue by this factor, though small, was also found to be additive to that induced by anti-IgE when both agents were added simultaneously. Histamine release from leucocytes by neat supernatant ranged from 9 to 35% and up to 55% when concentrated four-fold. The release resembled that of IgE-mediated reactions in many respects including temperature and calcium dependence, time course and susceptibility to metabolic inhibitors - thus suggesting a non-cytotoxic mechanism. These results show that histamine release by this lymphokine(s) possesses most of the features of an active secretory process. They also suggest that the histamine-releasing factor (HRF) in lymphokine-containing supernatants might be involved in the modulation of type I allergy in humans, apart from its involvement in delayed-type hypersensitivity.

19 Interaction between hyperosmolar and IgE induced histamine release from basophils and mast cells

Because both hyperosmolar and IgE-dependent stimuli may be encountered in the airway, and because hyperosmolarity causes histamine release in basophils, we examined the effects of the 2 stimuli on human lung mast cells. Mast cells prepared by enzymatic digestion of human lung were suspended in buffers made hyperosmolar with mannitol. Significant histamine release was seen above 360 mOsm/kg H20, increasing to 11.9 ± 1.0% at 770 mOsm/kg H20, and release was synergistically enhanced by anti-lgE. Cells that had been rendered unresponsive to IgE-dependent stimuli by exposure to anti-lgE in the absence of Ca became markedly more responsive to hyperosmolar stimulation, and released as much as 32 ± 2% histamine in hyperosmolar buffers alone. Antigen-induced histamine release from the basophils of allergic donors was also synergistically enhanced in buffers above 460 mOsm/kg H20. These data show that immunologic and nonimmunologic stimuli may interact, and that human lung mast cells are capable of mediator release when exposed to osmolarities that may occur in the airway, especially during hyperventilation. Hyperosmolar mediator release is a plausible mechanism by which exerciseinduced hyperventilation might induce asthma. AM REV RESPIR DIS 1984; 130:86-9

Human lung mast cells: purification and characterization.

Detailed studies of the biochemistry and pharmacology of mast cell-mediated inflammatory disorders have been hampered by the inability to purify human mast cells. We now report techniques to purify human lung mast cells to apparent homogeneity. The major purification steps are: 1) dispersion of lung fragments into a single-cell suspension with enzyme combinations (pronase-chymopapain, collagenase-elastase); 2) partial purification by countercurrent centrifugation elutriation (CCE); and 3) affinity column chromatography. Enzymatic dispersion yielded suspensions with congruent to 10(6) mast cells per gram of lung parenchyma in purities of 1.2 to 9.7%. Dispersed mast cells responded comparably to those in parent lung fragments to challenge with anti-human IgG and pharmacologic agonists. Elutriation of lung cell suspensions yielded mast cell-enriched fractions with purities up to 70%. High purity mast cell fractions were combined, passively sensitized with purified human penicillin (BPO)-specific IgE, and purified by a BPO-affinity column chromatography procedure. Post elutriation mast cell purities of 29 +/- 3.5% were increased to 84 +/- 3% (range 65 to 98%) by the affinity column. Short-term (24 hr) culture of column-purified mast cells allowed adherence of non-mast cell contaminants to tissue culture plates, further increasing purity (up to 100%). Purified mast cells were intact and functional as assessed by dye exclusion, survival in short-term culture, IgE-mediated histamine release, and modulation of release by the pharmacologic agonists adenosine, IBMX, prostaglandin E2, and fenoterol.

Characterization of histamine secretion from mechanically dispersed human lung mast cells: effects of anti-IgE, calcium ionophore A23187, compound 48/80, and basic polypeptides.

Characterization of histamine secretion from mechanically dispersed human lung mast cells: effects of anti-IgE, calcium ionophore A23187, compound 48/80, and basic polypeptides.

Generation of leukotrienes by purified human lung mast cells.

Although mediator release from mast cells and basophils plays a central role in the pathogenesis of human allergic disease, biochemical studies have been restricted to rat peritoneal mast cells and basophilic leukemia cells because they could be easily purified. We have used two new techniques of cell separation to purify human lung mast cells to 98% homogeneity. Lung cell suspensions were obtained by dispersion of chopped lung tissue with proteolytic enzymes. Mast cells were then purified from the suspensions by countercurrent centrifugal elutriation and affinity chromatography. The purified mast cells released both histamine and slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A) (leukotriene C and D) during stimulation with goat anti-human IgE antibody. Moreover, these preparations were able to generate significant quantities of SRS-A (32 +/- 7 x 10(-17) LTD mole-equivalents/mast cell) at all stages of purification, indicating that a secondary cell is not necessary for the antigen-induced release of SRS.

Pharmacologic and biochemical studies of human lung mast cells (MC)

Pharmacologic and biochemical studies of human lung mast cells (MC)

Effects of infused histamine on asthmatic and normal subjects: comparison of skin test responses

The effect of histamine infused intravenously at sequentially increasing concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 μ/kg/min) on the wheat responses to intradermal histamine and compound 48 80 in eight normal and five asthmatic subjects and to allergen skin tests in five asthmatic subjects was measured. These measurements were repeated following pretreatment with the H-1 antagonist hydroxyzine or the H-2 antagonist cimetidine, either alone or in combination. Histamine infused in progressively increasing concentrations had no effect on histamine, compound 48/80, or allergen skin tests either before or after H-1 or H-2 antihistamine treatment. No significant differene was found in the concentration of histamine or compound 48/80 required to elicit a 10-mm wheat in normal or asthmatic patients. Pretreatment with the H-2 antagonist alone had no effect on histamine or compound 48/80 skin tests in either group. However, the H-1 antagonist significantly reduced the wheat response to histamine (p < 0.05 normal; p < 0.025 asthmatics) and compound 48 80 (p < 0.05 normal; p < 0.025 asthmatics) in both groups. The combination of H-1 and H-2 histamine antagonists was not significantly different from the H-1 antagonist alone. Antigen skin testing was suppressed 82% by the hydroxyzine alone; no significant suppression was induced by cimetidine alone, and the combination of hydroxyzine plus cimetidine was only slightly more effective than hydroxyzine alone. The results indicate that blockade of histamine H-2 receptors with cimetidine has little or no additive effect on H-1 antagonist-suppressed skin test responses to histamine, compound 48 80 , or antigen. Furthermore, the capacity of histamine to suppress histamine release in vitro from basophils was not demonstrated in vivo assessing skin mast cell responses. This observation combined with earlier studies on the human lung mast cell, which also failed to demonstrate that histamine had an inhibitory action, suggests that the human mast cell may not respond to histamine like the basophil and that this discrepancy may represent a fundamental difference in the cell types.

Acid hydrolases and tryptase from secretory granules of dispersed human lung mast cells.

beta-Hexosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase, arylsulfatase, and tryptase were each released along with histamine from dispersed purified human lung mast cells of 40 to 80% purity by rabbit IgG anti-human IgE. The net per cent release ratio of each enzyme to histamine was determined over all doses of antibody employed to activate the mast cells and over all time points after activation, and indicated the per cent of each enzyme stored in secretory granules along with histamine. By multiplying the net per cent release ratio of each enzyme to histamine by total enzyme content in a preparation of 10(6) mast cells, values for secretory granule content per 10(6) mast cells were found to be 3.8 U for beta-hexosaminidase, 0.03 U for beta-glucuronidase, 0.03 U for arylsulfatase, and 0.9 U for tryptase. Subtype analysis of beta-hexosaminidase by diethylaminoethyl- (DEAE) cellulose chromatography revealed that the B isomer predominates in human mast cell secretory granules, whereas the A isomer predominates in secretory granules of the rat mast cell. Tryptase, the predominant neutral protease of the human mast cell secretory granule, has a m.w. of 130,000 by gel filtration chromatography, whereas the major neutral protease of the rat mast cell is chymotryptic and of 25,000 m.w. The presence of acid hydrolases, a tryptase, and histamine in human mast cell secretory granules suggests that the activated mast cell plays a direct role in the production of acute and subacute inflammation.

Inhibition of human lung mast cell sensitization by IgE in allergic sera.

Passive sensitization of mast cells in human lung tissue by antigen-specificity IgE was inhibited by allergic sera containing IgE of other specificities.IgE-free sera and heat-treated sera failed to inhibit. Inhibition by purified myeloma IgE was quantitatively similar to that produced by serum IgE. It is concluded that IgE antibodies of different antigen specificity at concentrations found in allergic sera compete for cell surface receptors on human mast cells.

Isolation and characterization of heparin from human lung.

Heparin as measured by azure A metachromasia and anticoagulant activity has been extracted with 1 M NaCl from (35)S-labeled human lung fragments or dispersed human lung cells enriched for mast cells. The (35)S-labeled metachromatic material in the 3 M NaCl eluate from Dowex-1 chromatography of the extract from lung fragments exhibited an average mol wt of 20,000 by Sepharose 4B gel filtration. The (35)S-labeled metachromatic material with the charge characteristics of commercial porcine heparin on DEAE cellulose chromatography was entirely heparin by the criteria of resistance to degradation by chondroitin ABC lyase and complete degradation by purified heparinase. Antithrombin affinity chromatography of purified heparin with an anticoagulant activity of 137 U/mg, revealed that the one-third that was bound and eluted had a 273 U/mg sp act, whereas the unbound activity was 31 U/mg. Thus, the previously observed heterogeneity of commercial porcine heparin for binding to human antithrombin was also observed with human heparin. The mast cell-enriched human lung cell preparations yielded [(35)S]mucopolysaccharides with an average mol wt of 60,000 by Sepharose 4B gel filtration. Approximately 30% of this fraction was degraded by chondroitin ABC lyase, and the residual 70% was degraded by purified heparinase. When the chondroitin ABC lyase-resistant fraction was subjected to alkali degradation the average mol wt was reduced to 20,000. The calculated human lung mast cell heparin content of 2.4-7.8 mug/10(6) cells gave a ratio to histamine on a weight basis similar to that of intact lung fragments, thereby implying that heparin in the lung fragments was largely restricted to the mast cells.

Inhibition and stimulation of histamine release by oxatomide

Oxatomide, a histamine H 1-antagonist, was also found to inhibit histamine secretion stimulated by allergen and other ligands in a variety of in vitro models: 1. Isolated rat peritoneal mast cells, stimulated to secrete by specific antigen, dextran and concanavalin A; 2. Antigen-stimulated histamine secretion by basophil leucocytes from patients with allergic asthma; and 3. Anti-IgE-induced histamine release from chopped human lung passively sensitized with IgE from allergic asthmatics. Although oxatomide was active in inhibiting histamine secretion stimulated by these various means, it possessed a histamine-releasing effect on its own when used in high concentration, particularly in rat peritoneal mast cells. This effect was less pronounced in human basophils, and was not observed in human lung mast cells. Thus, the inhibition and stimulation of histamine release by oxatomide seemed to be independent actions.

Immunologic and nonimmunologic generation of superoxide from mast cells and basophils.

Mediator release from rat peritoneal and human lung mast cells as well as human leukemic basophils was examined to determine whether super-oxide (O(-) (2)) was concomitantly generated. Immunologic or nonimmunologic stimulation of each preparation induced parallel release of histamine and O(-) (2) within 2 min. O(-) (2) production was quantitated by superoxide dismutase (SOD)-inhibitable chemiluminescence and cytochrome c reduction. SOD was detected in basophil and mast cell lysates and was also released by rat mast cells stimulated by anti-IgE. Secretory granules isolated from purified rat mast cells released histamine, O(-) (2), and SOD upon exposure to cations. Thus, both superoxide radicals and SOD may play a role in host defenses involved in immediate hypersensitivity reactions.

Release of Chemical Mediators from Partially Purified Human Lung Mast Cells

Human lung mast cells dispersed by enzymatic digestion of human lung fragments were concentrated to greater than 50% purity by sedimentation in isopycnic and velocity gradients. The dispersed lung mast cells had a characteristic ultrasturctural appearance including granules with a scroll or reticular structural appearance including granules with a scroll or reticular structure surrounded by perigranular membranes. Histamine and preformed eosinophilotactic activity sedimented with mast cells on isopycnic gradients, and mast cells and these mediators were separated from the bulk of the other lung cells after velocity gradient sedimentation. The histamine content of isolated lung mast cells was calculated to range from 1.0 to 5.5 pg/cell. The quantity of SRS-A generated with anti-IgE or specific antigen was relatively limited but confined to the mast cell-rich fractions and associated with release of histamine and eosinophilotactic activity.