Aim: To study the intervention of cetirizine on monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in different cutaneous inflammation models.
Methods: Histamine and IFN-gamma stimulated dermal fibroblast cells and HaCaT cells to mimic cutaneous inflammation. Expression of MCP-1 was assessed by means of RT-PCR and ELISA.
Results: Compared with the control group of dermal fibroblast (DF) cells and HaCaT cells, MCP-1 mRNA was significantly upregulated by histamine (10 micromol x L(-1)) and IFN-gamma (20 ng x mL(-1)). The protein secretions of MCP-1 were increased 3.5 fold and 8.4 fold in DF cells, respectively. The similar tendency was observed in HaCaT cells. The enhancing effects of histamine and IFN-gamma on MCP-1 protein production were significantly inhibited by cetirizine (1 and 10 micromol x L(-1)) in DF and HaCaT cells.
Conclusion: Cetirizine may exert the anti-inflammatory effect of skin via inhibiting MCP-1 expression.