Mast cells (MCs) play key roles in IgE-mediated immunoresponses, including in the protection against parasitic infections and the onset and/or symptoms of allergic diseases. IgE-mediated activation induces MCs to release mediators, including histamine and leukotriene, as an early response, and to produce cytokines as a late phase response. Attempts have been made to identify novel antiallergic compounds from natural materials such as Chinese medicines and food ingredients. We herein screened approximately 60 compounds and identified salicylaldehyde, an aromatic aldehyde isolated from plant essential oils, as an inhibitor of the IgE-mediated activation of MCs. A degranulation assay, flow cytometric analyses, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays revealed that salicylaldehyde inhibited the IgE-mediated degranulation and cytokine expression of bone-marrow-derived MCs (BMMCs). The salicylaldehyde treatment reduced the surface expression level of FcεRI, the high affinity receptor for IgE, on BMMCs, and suppressed the IgE-induced phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in intercellular proteins, possibly Lyn, Syk, and Fyn, in BMMCs. We also examined the effects of salicylaldehyde in vivo using passive anaphylaxis mouse models and found that salicylaldehyde administration significantly enhanced the recovery of a reduced body temperature due to systemic anaphylaxis and markedly suppressed ear swelling, footpad swelling, and vascular permeability in cutaneous anaphylaxis.
Keywords: FcεRI; IgE; anaphylaxis; mast cells; salicylaldehyde.