On the mechanism of histamine release from sodium fluoride-activated mouse mast cells

Effect of lidocaine on histamine release and Ca2+ mobilization from mast cells and basophils

BACKGROUND

Various anesthetic drugs have been known to induce allergic reactions, which have been caused by histamine release from mast cells/basophils. Although lidocaine is reported to suppress allergic reactions, there have been no reports about lidocaine's direct effects to inhibit histamine release from mast cells/basophils.

METHODS

We examined the effect of lidocaine on histamine release in vitro from freshly extracted as well as cultured mast cells and basophils. Additionally, the effects of lidocaine on intracellular calcium concentration were monitored by assessing Fura-2 signals in cultured cells.

RESULTS

Lidocaine (10(-3)-10(-2) M: approximately 234-2340 micrograms/ ml) inhibited both the IgE-dependent and IgE-independent histamine release from all mast cells/basophils in a dose-dependent manner. However, lidocaine inhibited the IgE-dependent response more than the IgE-independent response (P < 0.01). Lidocaine also inhibited increases in intracellular Ca2+ to a greater extent after IgE-dependent stimulation as compared with IgE-independent stimulation. The degree of the inhibition of histamine release by lidocaine appeared to parallel decreases in Ca2+ mobilization.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that lidocaine directly inhibits histamine release from both rodent mast cells and human basophils in vitro at concentrations from 10(-3) to 10(-2) M (234 to 2340 micrograms/ml). That may be influenced by Ca2+ mobilization. Although these results are not immediately relevant to clinical practice, allergic reaction caused by direct effect of lidocaine seems to be impossible.

Fluoroaluminates mimic guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate in activating the polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase of hepatocyte membranes. Role for the guanine nucleotide regulatory protein Gp in signal transduction

Fluoride and guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP gamma S) both activate the hepatocyte membrane polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase (PPI-pde) in a concentration-dependent manner. AlCl3 enhances the fluoride effect, supporting the concept that [A1F4]- is the active species. Analysis of the products of inositol lipid hydrolysis demonstrate that phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate is the major lipid to be hydrolysed. Guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate (GDP beta S) is an inhibitor of activation of PPI-pde by both fluoride and GTP gamma S. These observations suggest that the guanine nucleotide regulatory protein (termed Gp) bears a structural resemblance to the well-characterized G-proteins of the adenylate cyclase system and the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase system in phototransduction.

Histamine-releasing properties of mast cells from various strains of mice

A comparison has been made of the in vitro histamine releasing capacity of peritoneal mast cells from BALB/c, C3H/A, C57BL/6J and CFW mouse strains in response to immunological and non-immunological stimuli namely anti-mouse IgE, Concanavalin A (Con A), ionophore A23187 and sodium fluoride. Anti-IgE-induced histamine secretion was highest in mast cells of CFW mice, intermediate in the cells of C57BL/6J and C3H/A mice and lowest in the cells of BALB/c mice. Similar, although less pronounced, strain-dependent differences were observed in Con A-induced release. Mast cells of C57BL/6J and CFW mice were significantly more sensitive to the action of ionophore A23187 compared to the two other strains, although the cells of each strain responded in different manner. Sodium fluoride-induced histamine release occurred in two ways: from mast cells of BALB/c and C57BL/6J it was dose-dependent at NaF concentrations of 1-15 mM, whereas cells of the two other strains were insensitive to the action of NaF at concentrations of 1-5 mM but at a concentration of 7.5 mM, a very strong potentiation of release was observed. Our results suggest functional heterogeneity of mast cells from various strains of mice, a point to be considered in further studies of mast cell function.