Original Paper

(S)-Albuterol Increases the Production of Histamine and IL-4 in Mast Cells
Seong H. Cho, Jeffrey Y. Hartleroad, Chad K. Oh

Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, Calif., USA

Address of Corresponding Author

Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2001;124:478-484 (DOI: 10.1159/000053783)

  Key Words

• Asthma
• (S)-Albuterol
• (R)-Albuterol
• Mast cells
• Histamine
• Interleukin-4

  Abstract

Background: Racemic albuterol is an equimolar mixture of (R)-albuterol and (S)-albuterol. Previous studies indicated that (S)-albuterol may exert proinflammatory effects. We investigated the effect of (S)-albuterol in the production of mast cell mediators such as histamine and interleukin (IL)-4. Methods: Murine mast cells were either unstimulated or stimulated by IgE-receptor crosslinking. Both groups of mast cells were pretreated with either (R)- or (S)-albuterol. Histamine release and IL-4 secretion were measured by ELISA. Expression of L-histidine decarboxylase (L-HDC) and IL-4 was analyzed by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain re- action. Results: In the overnight IgE-stimulated group, secreted histamine and total histamine were approximately 19.9 and 18.3% greater in cells co-treated with (S)-albuterol than untreated cells, respectively (n = 4, p < 0.002, p < 0.02), whereas there was no significant difference between the cells treated with (R)-albuterol and untreated cells. When the IgE-stimulated cells were treated with (S)-albuterol for 6 and 24 h, histamine release was approximately 18.3 and 24% greater, respectively (n = 4, p < 0.01). L-HDC is an essential enzyme for synthesizing histamine and its message was significantly induced in mast cells treated with (S)-albuterol. Both IL-4 message and protein were also significantly increased after treatment with (S)-albuterol. In the overnight IgE-stimulated group, IL-4 secretion was increased by approximately 58.8% upon exposure to (S)-albuterol (n = 5, p < 0.01). (R)-albuterol had no effect on mast cell mediator release. Conclusion: (S)-albuterol may have adverse effects in asthma control by activating mast cells to produce inflammatory mediators such as histamine and IL-4.

Copyright © 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Correspondence to: Dr. Chad K. Oh
University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA School of Medicine
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Bldg. N25, 1000 W. Carson Street
Torrance, CA 90509 (USA)
Tel. +1 310 222 4162, Fax +1 310 320 2271, E-Mail chad_oh@humc.edu

  Article Information

Received: Received: March 17, 2000
Accepted after revision: October 16, 2000
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 5, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 36