scholarly journals Neurotransmitter and neuropeptide regulation of mast cell function: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huaping Xu ◽  
Xiaoyun Shi ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Jiexin Zou ◽  
Chunyan Zhou ◽  
...  

AbstractThe existence of the neural control of mast cell functions has long been proposed. Mast cells (MCs) are localized in association with the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the brain, where they are closely aligned, anatomically and functionally, with neurons and neuronal processes throughout the body. They express receptors for and are regulated by various neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and other neuromodulators. Consequently, modulation provided by these neurotransmitters and neuromodulators allows neural control of MC functions and involvement in the pathogenesis of mast cell–related disease states. Recently, the roles of individual neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in regulating mast cell actions have been investigated extensively. This review offers a systematic review of recent advances in our understanding of the contributions of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides to mast cell activation and the pathological implications of this regulation on mast cell–related disease states, though the full extent to which such control influences health and disease is still unclear, and a complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying the control is lacking. Future validation of animal and in vitro models also is needed, which incorporates the integration of microenvironment-specific influences and the complex, multifaceted cross-talk between mast cells and various neural signals. Moreover, new biological agents directed against neurotransmitter receptors on mast cells that can be used for therapeutic intervention need to be more specific, which will reduce their ability to support inflammatory responses and enhance their potential roles in protecting against mast cell–related pathogenesis.

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercé Albert-Bayo ◽  
Irene Paracuellos ◽  
Ana M. González-Castro ◽  
Amanda Rodríguez-Urrutia ◽  
María J. Rodríguez-Lagunas ◽  
...  

The gastrointestinal tract harbours the largest population of mast cells in the body; this highly specialised leukocyte cell type is able to adapt its phenotype and function to the microenvironment in which it resides. Mast cells react to external and internal stimuli thanks to the variety of receptors they express, and carry out effector and regulatory tasks by means of the mediators of different natures they produce. Mast cells are fundamental elements of the intestinal barrier as they regulate epithelial function and integrity, modulate both innate and adaptive mucosal immunity, and maintain neuro-immune interactions, which are key to functioning of the gut. Disruption of the intestinal barrier is associated with increased passage of luminal antigens into the mucosa, which further facilitates mucosal mast cell activation, inflammatory responses, and altered mast cell–enteric nerve interaction. Despite intensive research showing gut dysfunction to be associated with increased intestinal permeability and mucosal mast cell activation, the specific mechanisms linking mast cell activity with altered intestinal barrier in human disease remain unclear. This review describes the role played by mast cells in control of the intestinal mucosal barrier and their contribution to digestive diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1498 ◽  
Author(s):  
David O. Lyons ◽  
Nicholas A. Pullen

Mast cells are often regarded through the lens of IgE-dependent reactions as a cell specialized only for anti-parasitic and type I hypersensitive responses. However, recently many researchers have begun to appreciate the expansive repertoire of stimuli that mast cells can respond to. After the characterization of the interleukin (IL)-33/suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) axis of mast cell activation—a pathway that is independent of the adaptive immune system—researchers are revisiting other stimuli to induce mast cell activation and/or subsequent degranulation independent of IgE. This discovery also underscores that mast cells act as important mediators in maintaining body wide homeostasis, especially through barrier defense, and can thus be the source of disease as well. Particularly in the gut, inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.) are characterized with enhanced mast cell activity in the context of autoimmune disease. Mast cells show phenotypic differences based on tissue residency, which could manifest as different receptor expression profiles, allowing for unique mast cell responses (both IgE and non-IgE mediated) across varying tissues as well. This variety in receptor expression suggests mast cells respond differently, such as in the gut where immunosuppressive IL-10 stimulates the development of food allergy or in the lungs where transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) can enhance mast cell IL-6 production. Such differences in receptor expression illustrate the truly diverse effector capabilities of mast cells, and careful consideration must be given toward the phenotype of mast cells observed in vitro. Given mast cells’ ubiquitous tissue presence and their capability to respond to a broad spectrum of non-IgE stimuli, it is expected that mast cells may also contribute to the progression of autoimmune disorders and other disease states such as metastatic cancer through promoting chronic inflammation in the local tissue microenvironment and ultimately polarizing toward a unique Th17 immune response. Furthermore, these interconnected, atypical activation pathways may crosstalk with IgE-mediated signaling differently across disorders such as parasitism, food allergies, and autoimmune disorders of the gut. In this review, we summarize recent research into familiar and novel pathways of mast cells activation and draw connections to clinical human disease.


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 1033-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. D. Metcalfe ◽  
D. Baram ◽  
Y. A. Mekori

Mast cells are found resident in tissues throughout the body, particularly in association with structures such as blood vessels and nerves, and in proximity to surfaces that interface the external environment. Mast cells are bone marrow-derived and particularly depend upon stem cell factor for their survival. Mast cells express a variety of phenotypic features within tissues as determined by the local environment. Withdrawal of required growth factors results in mast cell apoptosis. Mast cells appear to be highly engineered cells with multiple critical biological functions. They may be activated by a number of stimuli that are both Fc epsilon RI dependent and Fc epsilon RI independent. Activation through various receptors leads to distinct signaling pathways. After activation, mast cells may immediately extrude granule-associated mediators and generate lipid-derived substances that induce immediate allergic inflammation. Mast cell activation may also be followed by the synthesis of chemokines and cytokines. Cytokine and chemokine secretion, which occurs hours later, may contribute to chronic inflammation. Biological functions of mast cells appear to include a role in innate immunity, involvement in host defense mechanisms against parasitic infestations, immunomodulation of the immune system, and tissue repair and angiogenesis.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eri Takematsu ◽  
Sanjana Srinath ◽  
Michael Sherman ◽  
Andrew K Dunn ◽  
Aaron Baker

Introduction: The current standard cares for peripheral artery disease (PAD) include surgical revascularizations with bypass grafting or percutaneous interventions. However, these interventions cannot be performed in a significant portion of patients, and many do not respond to these surgical procedures. Protein therapy to stimulate the body to create new vasculature is another alternative, which is minimally invasive to patients. Stem cell factor (SCF) is a candidate protein for treating PAD, but clinical use of SCF has been limited due to toxicity related to mast cell activation. SCF also exists in a transmembrane form (tmSCF), possessing differential activities from soluble SCF and has not been explored as a therapeutic agent. Results: To develop tmSCF as a therapeutic we created tmSCF embedded in liposome or lipid nanodisc (Fig. A) . Hindlimb ischemia model on WT and ob/ob mice showed that tmSCF proteliposome (tmSCFPL) and nanodisc (tmSCFND) improved blood flow recovery significantly more than control (Fig. B, C) . Mouse model of anaphylaxis revealed that tmSCF-based therapies did not activate mast cells (Fig. D, E) . Colocalization assay of c-Kit and clathrin/caveolin revealed that mast cells preferentially use clathrin-mediated pathways to internalize SCF and caveolin-mediated pathways for tmSCF-based therapies (Fig. F, G) . Surface c-Kit internalization study on mast cells showed faster uptake of SCF in comparison to tmSCF-based therapies (Fig. H) . Previous study indicates that clathrin-mediated internalization causes increased activation of mast cells. Our studies together with the previous finding suggest that mast cell activation does not occur for tmSCF-based therapies because of the slower uptake, greater utilization of the caveolin internalization pathway and weaker activation of mast cells. Conclusions: TmSCF-based therapies can provide therapeutic benefits without off-target effects on mast cells by tuning activation with nanocarriers.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 524
Author(s):  
Ryan P. Mendoza ◽  
Dylan H. Fudge ◽  
Jared M. Brown

Mast cells are essential first responder granulocytes in the innate immune system that are well known for their role in type 1 immune hypersensitivity reactions. Although mostly recognized for their role in allergies, mast cells have a range of influences on other systems throughout the body and can respond to a wide range of agonists to properly prime an appropriate immune response. Mast cells have a dynamic energy metabolism to allow rapid responsiveness to their energetic demands. However, our understanding of mast cell metabolism and its impact on mast cell activation and development is still in its infancy. Mast cell metabolism during stimulation and development shifts between both arms of metabolism: catabolic metabolism—such as glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation—and anabolic metabolism—such as the pentose phosphate pathway. The potential for metabolic pathway shifts to precede and perhaps even control activation and differentiation provides an exciting opportunity to explore energy metabolism for clues in deciphering mast cell function. In this review, we discuss literature pertaining to metabolic environments and fluctuations during different sources of activation, especially IgE mediated vs. non-IgE mediated, and mast cell development, including progenitor cell types leading to the well-known resident mast cell.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 2214-2220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian T. Edelson ◽  
Zhengzhi Li ◽  
Loretta K. Pappan ◽  
Mary M. Zutter

Abstract Although the α2β1 integrin is widely expressed and has been extensively studied, it has not been previously implicated in mast cell biology. We observed that α2 integrin subunit-deficient mice exhibited markedly diminished neutrophil and interleukin-6 responses during Listeria monocytogenes– and zymosan-induced peritonitis. Since exudative neutrophils of wild-type mice expressed little α2β1 integrin, it seemed unlikely that this integrin mediated neutrophil migration directly. Here, we demonstrate constitutive α2β1 integrin expression on peritoneal mast cells. Although α2-null mice contain normal numbers of peritoneal mast cells, these α2-null cells do not support in vivo mast cell–dependent inflammatory responses. We conclude that α2β1 integrin provides a costimulatory function required for mast cell activation and cytokine production in response to infection.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenchuan Qi ◽  
Baitong Liu ◽  
Yilu Jiang ◽  
Xinye Luo ◽  
Zhiwei Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Selecting routine points on related meridians is widely accepted as the foundational principle of acupuncture. When the body is suffering disease or injury, corresponding acupoints are thought to be activated and manifest in several sensitized forms. Sensitized acupoints hold high clinical value as a reflection of disease activity on the body surface. Mast cells have been implicated in the process of acupoint sensitization but the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we evaluated ST36 as a sensitized acupoint in the monosodium iodoacetate-induced knee osteoarthritis rat model. We first confirmed sensitization at the ST36 acupoint through decreases in the acupoint mechanical pain threshold and instructively found an accompanying increase in skin mast cell degranulation. Thereafter, we used highthroughput RNA sequencing to reveal potential molecular mechanisms of acupoint sensitization. We showed that rno-miR-199a-3p was highly expressed in the sensitized ST36 acupoint and its expression was associated with mast cells. Functional experiments revealed that overexpression of rno-miR-199a-3p increased mast cell histamine release whereas inhibition of rno-miR-199a-3p decreased histamine release. Mechanistically, we established rno-miR-199a-3p acted to inhibit neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated 4 (Nedd4) protein expression through miRNA-mediated targeting of the 3’-UTR of Nedd4 mRNA. Moreover, we found ectopic expression of Nedd4 antagonized histamine release in mast cells and blocked the actions of rno-miR-199a-3p overexpression. Thus, our study establishes that mast cells participate in the process of acupoint sensitization, and further reveals a novel miRNA-based mechanism which is crucial for further understanding of acupoint sensitization and acupuncture applications.


2010 ◽  
Vol 207 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole A. Oskeritzian ◽  
Megan M. Price ◽  
Nitai C. Hait ◽  
Dmitri Kapitonov ◽  
Yves T. Falanga ◽  
...  

Systemic exacerbation of allergic responses, in which mast cells play a critical role, results in life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Sphingosine-1–phosphate (S1P), a ligand for a family of G protein–coupled receptors, is a new addition to the repertoire of bioactive lipids secreted by activated mast cells. Yet little is known of its role in human mast cell functions and in anaphylaxis. We show that S1P2 receptors play a critical role in regulating human mast cell functions, including degranulation and cytokine and chemokine release. Immunoglobulin E–triggered anaphylactic responses, including elevation of circulating histamine and associated pulmonary edema in mice, were significantly attenuated by the S1P2 antagonist JTE-013 and in S1P2-deficient mice, in contrast to anaphylaxis induced by administration of histamine or platelet-activating factor. Hence, S1P and S1P2 on mast cells are determinants of systemic anaphylaxis and associated pulmonary edema and might be beneficial targets for anaphylaxis attenuation and prophylaxis.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Arianna Giannetti ◽  
Emanuele Filice ◽  
Carlo Caffarelli ◽  
Giampaolo Ricci ◽  
Andrea Pession

Background and Objectives: Mast cell disorders comprise a wide spectrum of syndromes caused by mast cells’ degranulation with acute or chronic clinical manifestations. Materials and Methods: In this review article we reviewed the latest findings in scientific papers about mast cell disorders with a particular focus on mast cell activation syndrome and mastocytosis in pediatric age. Results: Patients with mast cell activation syndrome have a normal number of mast cells that are hyperreactive upon stimulation of various triggers. We tried to emphasize the diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, and therapeutic strategies. Another primary mast cell disorder is mastocytosis, a condition with a long-known disease, in which patients have an increased number of mast cells that accumulate in different regions of the body with different clinical evolution in pediatric age. Conclusions: Mast cell activation syndrome overlaps with different clinical entities. No consensus was found on biomarkers and no clearly resolutive treatment is available. Therefore, a more detailed knowledge of this syndrome is of fundamental importance for a correct diagnosis and effective therapy.


F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Monticelli ◽  
Cristina Leoni

Mast cells are tissue-resident, innate immune cells present in most tissues of the body and are important effector and immunomodulatory cells. Differentiated mast cells typically are characterized by the surface expression of the receptors KIT and FcεRI, the latter especially being important for stimulation through IgE antibodies, although these cells have the ability to respond to a wide variety of environmental signals, to which they can variably react by releasing pre-stored or de novo–synthesized mediators or both. Since mast cells terminate their differentiation in their tissue of residence in response to specific microenvironmental cues, each tissue may comprise unique mast cell subtypes, and responses are tailored to the danger signals that are likely to be encountered in each anatomical location. From a transcriptional point of view, these cells therefore must be endowed with epigenetic and transcriptional programs that allow them to maintain a stable identity and at the same time allow sufficient plasticity to adapt to different environmental challenges. In this commentary, we highlight some of the recent findings that advanced our understanding of the transcriptional and epigenetic programs regulating mast cell functions.


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