Anaphylactic- and calcium-dependent generation of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), thromboxane B2, and other cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid by dispersed human lung cells and relationship to histamine release

Abstract

Proteolytic digestion of human lung tissue dispersed a population of cells (HDLC) containing 1 to 8% mast cells but which were free from bronchial and vascular smooth muscle. Incubation of HDLC with anti-human IgE, which released a net 24.8 + 4.3% of mast cell-derived histamine, stimulated a 14-fold increase in the generation of PGD2, a seven-fold increase in TXB2, and less than a twofold increase in PGF2 alpha, immunoreactive PGE, (i-PGE) and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. A similar profile of prostanoid release was observed when cells were challenged with epsilon-specific anti-IgE, indicating that the response was specific to the coupling of IgE Fc receptors. The calcium ionophore A23187 also released prostanoids from HDLC in approximately the same proportions as anti-IgE. This stimulus, however, released only 50% as much PGD2 per nanogram histamine than did IgE-dependent activation, thereby showing a fundamental difference in the mechanisms by which the two agents activate mast cells and liberate arachidonic acid for oxidative metabolism. In concentration-response and time course experiments, both secretory stimuli released prostanoids and histamine in parallel. After separation of lung cells by isopyknic centrifugation, challenge with anti-IgE or A23187 released PGD2 only from those fractions containing mast cells, the amount released corresponding closely to both the mast cell concentration and net histamine release. On pooling data from all experiments, the closest correlation was found between release of PGD2 and histamine when cells were stimulated with either anti-IgE (r = 0.813, p less than 0.001) or A23187 (r = 0.763, p less than 0.001), supporting a mast cell origin for PGD2. The release of other prostanoids in fractions not containing mast cells demonstrates that macrophages, monocytes, and lymphocytes have the capacity to generate TXB2, PGF2 alpha, and i-PGE both in the absence and presence of mast cells. Thus, although mast cells are likely to be the major source of PGD2 generated upon IgE-dependent stimulation of HDLC, other cells dispersed from lung tissue have the capacity to generate prostanoids directly after activation of their IgE-Fc receptors and, indirectly after the secretion of mast cell mediators.