Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P15088 (mast cell)
 14,925 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The exact functional contribution of the various inflammatory cells, mediators, cytokines and growth factors present in asthmatic airways to bronchial hyperresponsiveness remains to be fully established. Gene knock-out in vivo animal models can provide valuable information in this respect. Obviously, the closer the animal models mimic human disease, the more relevant this information will be. This constitutes the major limitation of murine asthma models to date. Key characteristics of asthma include from a morphological point of view, signs of an acute allergic airway inflammation in combination with airway remodeling, and from a functional point of view, hypersensitivity and hyperreactivity of the airways. Neither of these two main characteristics are properly mimicked in currently developed animal models. The degree of airway hyperresponsiveness obtained in these models is generally small, when compared to the degree of hyperresponsiveness observed in asthmatics. This probably relates at least in part, to the differences in airway inflammation, as in most of the murine models, only acute inflammatory changes are induced without chronic structural changes that might affect responsiveness to a large degree. The shortcomings of these models notwithstanding, gene knock-out models of asthma have revealed some interesting observations. The majority of these models has evaluated the exact functional role of TH2 cells, interleukin-4, interleukin-5 and IgE in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. Overall, it can be argued that neither the IgE/mast cell axis, nor the IL-5/eosinophil axis, are the cause of airway hyperresponsiveness, but that the T-cell in its own right is the main determining factor in establishing the degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
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PMID:[The role of inflammation in the modulation of bronchial hyperreactivity. Potential therapeutic applications]. 1093 14

Asthma is a common respiratory disorder. It can no longer be viewed as a reversible airway obstruction but should instead be considered primarily as an inflammatory illness that has bronchial hyperreactivity and bronchospasm as its result. There are several potential benefits as well as limitations of the currently available antiasthmatic agents such as anticholinergics, beta 2-selective agonists, methylxanthines, corticosteroids, or mast cell stabilizers. Recent trends in the design of new antiasthmatic agents include isozyme selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors, inhibitors of the biosynthesis of interleukin-4 and IL-4 antagonists, lipoxygenase and leukotriene inhibitors, thromboxane A2 receptor antagonists, potassium channel openers and monoclonal antibodies.
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PMID:Recent perspectives in the design of antiasthmatic agents. 1094 72

In the Brown Norway (BN) rat, chemical compounds [mercuric chloride (HgCl2), D-penicillamine or gold salts] induce a T(h)2-dominated autoimmune syndrome with tissue injury in the form of a vasculitis and arthritis. An early phase of vasculitis in the model occurs within 24 h of an injection of HgCl2, is alphabeta T cell independent and involves the mast cell. In addition, HgCl2 induces IL-4 mRNA in mast cells from BN rats. Our recent work has demonstrated that the balance of oxidative/antioxidative influences plays an important role in the modulation of mast cell function (degranulation) in chemically induced autoimmunity. The aim of this study was to determine, in mast cells, whether oxidative status influences IL-4 transcription and translation, which is required for the development of a T(h)2 response. Exposure of the mast cell line RBL-2H3 to HgCl2 enhanced both IL-4 mRNA and its promoter activity. Oxidative stress by hydrogen peroxide mimicked the effects of HgCl2 in enhancing IL-4 promoter activity. The enhancement of IL-4 gene expression by HgCl2 was significantly reduced by antioxidants (both sulphydryl and non-sulphydryl containing). The same pattern of regulation was also observed on IL-4 protein expression in the mast cells. These data suggest a novel mechanism of IL-4 transcriptional up-regulation by oxidative stress. Our results provide evidence to support our hypothesis that alterations in intracellular reactive oxygen species production modulate both IL-4 gene expression and mast cell function.
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PMID:IL-4 gene expression up-regulated by mercury in rat mast cells: a role of oxidant stress in IL-4 transcription. 1122 98

The retinoic acid receptor (RAR) agonists, Re80 and Am80, partially inhibited the antigen-induced IL-4 production by rat mast cell line RBL-2H3 in a concentration-dependent manner (0.1 to 1000 nM). Both Re80 and Am80 also reduced the antigen-induced increase in IL-4 mRNA levels. The RAR antagonist LE540 at 4 microM reversed Re80 (100 nM)- and Am80 (100 nM)-induced inhibition of IL-4 production. The retinoid X receptor agonist HX600 (1 microM) by itself did not affect IL-4 production, but enhanced the inhibitory effect of Re80 (10 nM) and of Am80 (10 nM). Cyclosporin A suppressed the antigen-induced IL-4 production almost completely at 0.3 microM. These findings indicated that the antigen-induced IL-4 production by RBL-2H3 cells is partially inhibited by retinoids via RAR-dependent mechanisms.
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PMID:Inhibition by retinoids of antigen-induced IL-4 production in rat mast cell line RBL-2H3. 1123 95

Gain-of-function mutations in c-kit, which appear to contribute to mast cell hyperplasia, have been detected in both limited and aggressive forms of mastocytosis, suggesting that other mutations or polymorphisms may contribute to the clinical phenotype. Because addition of interleukin-4 (IL-4) to mast cell cultures is reported to induce apoptosis, the hypothesis was considered that individuals carrying the gain-of-function polymorphism Q576R in the cytoplasmic domain of the alpha-subunit of the IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) might be relatively resistant to the gain-of-function mutation in c-kit. To assess this possibility, 36 patients with either cutaneous or systemic mastocytosis were studied for association with the Q576R polymorphism. The Q576R polymorphism was found more frequently in those with disease limited to skin and who exhibited lower levels of surrogate disease markers. These data suggest that the Q576R IL-4R alpha- chain polymorphism may mitigate disease expression and confer a better prognosis in patients with mastocytosis. (Blood. 2001;98:880-882)
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PMID:Association of the Q576R polymorphism in the interleukin-4 receptor alpha chain with indolent mastocytosis limited to the skin. 1146 92

Atopic dermatitis, a common, chronic, inflammatory skin disease that occurs with increasing prevalence, is characterized by hyperactivated cytokines of helper T cell subset 2 and is frequently associated with staphylococcal infection. An experimental animal model of atopic dermatitis induced by transgenically introduced cytokine is not available. We generated a transgenic mouse line expressing epidermal interleukin-4, a critical cytokine of helper T cell subset 2. Here we show that transgenic mice spontaneously developed a pruritic inflammatory skin disease reproducing all key features of human atopic dermatitis, including xerosis, conjunctivitis, inflammatory skin lesions, Staphylococcus aureus infection, histopathology of chronic dermatitis with T cell, mast cell, macrophage-like mononuclear cell, and eosinophil infiltration, and elevation of total serum IgE and IgG1. The onset and early progression of skin disease coincided with increased total serum IgE and IgG1. The mouse disease occurred at a 43% annual incidence rate and primarily affected the poorly haired skin: ear (100%), neck (65%), eye (53%), face (29%), tail (12%), leg (12%), and torso (6%). As a group the affected transgenic mice manifested with a skin disorder that fulfilled the clinical diagnostic criteria established for atopic dermatitis in human patients. Pending further characterization to authenticate it as a model of atopic dermatitis, this experimental animal model of pruritic inflammatory skin disease may facilitate investigations for the roles of interleukin-4 in cutaneous inflammation and skin infection in human patients.
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PMID:Expression of interleukin-4 in the epidermis of transgenic mice results in a pruritic inflammatory skin disease: an experimental animal model to study atopic dermatitis. 1167 41

Mast cell chymase plays important roles in inflammation and tissue remodeling. Here we show that mast cell chymase also functions as an enhancer of immunoglobulin production. In the culture of murine spleen cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and interleukin-4, purified rat chymase (rat mast cell protease-I; RMCP-I), at physiological concentrations, enhanced immunoglobulin E (IgE) and IgG1 syntheses but not IgG3 synthesis. The enhancement was also evident when spleen cells depleted of T cells and macrophages were employed as responding cells. Enzymatic activity of RMCP-I was required to enhance IgE and IgG1, because two inhibitors for chymotryptic enzymes, chymostatin and Y-40613, a novel chymase inhibitor, suppressed the enhanced immunoglobulin production, and phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride, an irreversible inhibitor for serine proteases, totally abolished the enhancing effect. Furthermore, a specific inhibitor for Zn2+-dependent metalloproteases, GI 129471, could also completely inhibit the production of IgE and IgG1 that was enhanced by RMCP-I, suggesting that a metalloprotease also played an essential role in the immunoglobulin production. Our results together with others show that proteases from mast cell granules have important function not only in the efferent phase but also in the afferent phase of immune responses.
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PMID:Rat mast cell protease-I enhances immunoglobulin E production by mouse B cells stimulated with interleukin-4. 1172 48

Mast cells are inflammatory and immunoregulatory cells resident in tissues. They develop from bone marrow-derived progenitor cells that enter the tissue through the blood circulation. The specific localization and migration of mast cells in tissues is dependent on their interaction with extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Adhesion of human mast cells isolated from intestinal mucosa and cultured in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF) to ECM proteins is analyzed. It was observed that SCF is a unique cytokine enhancing mast cell adhesion to all tested ECM proteins (fibronectin, laminin, collagen I, III, IV, VI, XIV) up to 5-fold, particularly to fibronectin (54% +/- 12% of mast cells) and to denatured collagens (40% +/- 12% on cyanogen bromide-cleaved peptides of collagen I). Most noteworthy, preculture of mast cells with interleukin-4 (IL-4), in addition to SCF, reduced their potency to adhere to ECM proteins to one third compared to mast cells cultured with SCF alone. Mast cell adhesion was preferentially mediated by beta1 integrins, and most cells expressed the ECM-binding integrins alpha2beta1, alpha3beta1, alpha4beta1, alpha5beta1, and alphaVbeta3. SCF-induced mast cell adhesion was totally blocked by wortmannin and apigenin, indicating an involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase, and it was related to an up-regulation of the HUTS-21 beta1 epitope, which is associated with an activated conformation of beta1. In conclusion, these data indicate that SCF induces the adhesion of cultured mast cells to ECM proteins, whereas IL-4 may promote detachment from the ECM.
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PMID:Regulatory effects of stem cell factor and interleukin-4 on adhesion of human mast cells to extracellular matrix proteins. 1180

As mast cells have been implicated in cutaneous repair processes, we have examined the ability of human mast cells to produce important epithelial and fibroblast growth factors or to stimulate the production of such factors in dermal fibroblasts. Isolated, highly purified human dermal mast cells and human leukemic mast cells were examined for mRNA and partly also for protein expression of these molecules as such or after preincubation with interleukin-4, stem cell factor, or with phorbol myristate acetate. In addition, mast cells were studied for their ability to induce fibroblast growth factor 2 and fibroblast growth factor 7 secretion from dermal fibroblasts. Both dermal and leukemic mast cells expressed fibroblast growth factor 2, fibroblast growth factor 7, and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor, but not hepatocyte growth factor at mRNA level, and dermal mast cells expressed fibroblast growth factor 10 in addition. At protein level, spontaneous fibroblast growth factor 2 secretion was noted that was markedly enhanced by phorbol myristate acetate, whereas no fibroblast growth factor 7 protein was detected under these conditions. Instead, human mast cell-1 supernatants induced enhanced fibroblast growth factor 7 secretion from dermal fibroblasts, with phorbol-myristate-acetate-stimulated supernatants being more effective. This effect could be reproduced with histamine and was H1-receptor mediated. Tryptase was ineffective but stimulated instead fibroblast growth factor 2 secretion from fibroblasts. These data demonstrate for the first time the ability of mast cells to express and/or secrete several growth factors of the fibroblast growth factor family as well as heparin-binding epidermal growth factor directly or indirectly via stimulation of fibroblasts, underlining the potentially pivotal role of these cells during human tissue repair and homeostasis.
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PMID:Mast cell-fibroblast interactions: human mast cells as source and inducers of fibroblast and epithelial growth factors. 1187 75

It is well established, that viral infections may trigger urticaria or allergic asthma; however, as viral infections induce T helper 1 polarized responses, which lead to the inhibition of T helper 2 cell development, the opposite would be plausible. We wanted to investigate how viral infections may mediate allergic symptoms in a mouse model; therefore, we infected BALB/C mice with influenza A virus intranasally. Histologic analyses of lung sections and bronchoalveolar lavages were performed. In addition, cells from the mediastinal lymph nodes were restimulated in vitro to analyze which types of cytokines were induced by the flu infection. Furthermore, flu-specific antibody titers were determined and local anaphylaxis was measured after rechallenge with flu antigen. We found that airways inflammation consisted predominately of macrophages and lymphocytes, whereas only a few eosinophils were observed. interferon-gamma but no interleukin-4 and little interleukin-5 could be detected in the culture supernatants from in vitro restimulated T cells from the draining lymph nodes. The antibody response was characterized by high levels of virus-specific IgG2a, IgG2b, and IgG1 and, surprisingly, low levels of virus-specific IgE antibodies. Interestingly, flu-infected mice developed active and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis after rechallenge with flu-antigen. As the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction persisted over 48 h and was significantly lower after passive transfer of the serum, which was IgE depleted, local anaphylaxis seemed to be mediated predominately by specific IgE antibodies. Taken together, our results demonstrate that mice infected with flu virus develop virus-specific mast cell degranulation in the skin. Our results may also have implications for the pathogenesis of urticaria or other atopic disorders in humans.
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PMID:Infection with influenza a virus leads to flu antigen-induced cutaneous anaphylaxis in mice. 1191 11


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