Autoantibodies against G-protein-coupled receptors modulate heart mast cells

Cell Mol Immunol. 2007 Apr;4(2):127-33.

Abstract

Mast cells are believed to be involved in myocardial tissue remodelling under pathophysiological conditions. We examined the effects of autoantibodies against G-protein-coupled receptors in sera of patients with heart diseases on myocardial mast cells in the cultured neonatal Sprague-Dawley rat heart cells. Cells collected at day 3 and 10 of the culture were preincubated with autoantibodies against alpha1-adrenoceptor and angiotensin II AT1-receptor, agonist phenylephrine and angiotensin II, and control IgG. The pretreated cultured cells were stained for selected mast cell markers tryptase, chymase and TNF-alpha. The cultured cells were also processed for observation with electron microscopy. The autoantibodies-treatment of the 3-day cultured cells caused both increased intensity of immunofluorescence (p < 0.05) and their enlarged diameters of the mast cells when compared to age-matched ones. In contrast, the fluorescence of preincubated 10-day-old mast cells was decreased compared with controls (p < 0.01). In control samples, the fluorescence of 10-day-old mast cells was significantly higher than that of 3-day-old ones (p < 0.001). Results of electron microscopy examination demonstrated there was an increased granulation of treated 3-day-old mast cells, while a degranulation of mast cells at day 10 of application. The results suggest the modulation effect of the autoantibodies against G-protein-coupled receptors on mast cells, indicating a potential functional link between the autoantibodies against G-protein-coupled receptors and the mast cells in progression of heart disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / pharmacology
  • Adult
  • Angiotensin II / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Autoantibodies / blood*
  • Cell Degranulation
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / immunology*
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / immunology*
  • Male
  • Mast Cells / drug effects
  • Mast Cells / metabolism*
  • Mast Cells / ultrastructure
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardium / metabolism*
  • Myocardium / ultrastructure
  • Phenylephrine / pharmacology
  • Pre-Eclampsia / immunology*
  • Pregnancy
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1 / immunology
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / immunology
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / agonists
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / immunology*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
  • Autoantibodies
  • Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Angiotensin II
  • Phenylephrine