Hydrocortisone and dexamethasone dose-dependently stabilize mast cells derived from rat peritoneum

• Published in: Pharmacological reports Vol. 68; no. 6; pp. 1358 - 1365
• Main Authors: Mori, Tomohiro, Abe, Nozomu, Saito, Kazutomo, Toyama, Hiroaki, Endo, Yasuhiro, Ejima, Yutaka, Yamauchi, Masanori, Goto, Mariko, Mushiake, Hajime, Kazama, Itsuro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o 01.12.2016; Springer International Publishing
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Cell Degranulation - drug effects; Cell Degranulation - physiology; Dexamethasone; Dexamethasone - pharmacology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance; Exocytosis; Glucocorticoids - pharmacology; Hydrocortisone; Hydrocortisone - pharmacology; Male; Mast cell-stabilizing effects; Mast cells; Mast Cells - drug effects; Mast Cells - physiology; Membrane capacitance; Peritoneum - drug effects; Peritoneum - physiology; Pharmacotherapy; Pharmacy; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Short Communication; Mast cells; Dexamethasone; Membrane capacitance; Hydrocortisone; Exocytosis; Mast cell-stabilizing effects
• ISSN: 1734-1140; 2299-5684
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pharep.2016.09.005

Besides their anti-inflammatory properties, corticosteroid drugs exert anti-allergic effects. Exocytosis of mast cells is electrophysiologically detected as the increase in the whole-cell membrane capacitance (Cm). Therefore, the lack of such increase after exposure to the drugs suggests their mast cell-stabilizing effects. We examined the effects of 1, 10, 100 and 200μM hydrocortisone or dexamethasone on the degranulation from rat peritoneal mast cells. Employing the whole-cell patch-clamp recording technique, we also tested their effects on the Cm during exocytosis. At relatively lower concentrations (1, 10μM), both hydrocortisone and dexamethasone did not significantly affect the degranulation from mast cells and the increase in the Cm induced by GTP-γ-S. Nevertheless, at higher doses (100, 200μM), these drugs inhibited the degranulation from mast cells and markedly suppressed the GTP-γ-S-induced increase in the Cm. Our results provided electrophysiological evidence for the first time that corticosteroid drugs, such as hydrocortisone and dexamethasone, inhibited the exocytotic process of mast cells in a dose-dependent manner. The mast cell-stabilizing effects of these drugs may be attributable to their “non-genomic” action, by which they exert rapid anti-allergic effects.