title: Inhibitory action of levocetirizine on the production of eosinophil chemoattractants RANTES and eotaxin in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Eosinophils are well known to play essential roles in the development and maintenance of allergic diseases. However, the influence of histamine H1 receptor antagonists on eosinophil functions, especially chemokine production, are not well-defined. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the influence of histamine H1 receptor antagonist on chemokine production by eosinophils through the use of levocetirizine in vitro and in vivo. Eosinophils prepared from mice were stimulated with specific antigens in the presence of different concentrations of levocetirizine. After 24 h, regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and eotaxin levels in culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis were treated with 5 mg levocetirizine once a day for four weeks during the pollen season (February 2012 to April 2012). RANTES and eotaxin levels in nasal secretions were also examined by ELISA. The addition of levocetirizine to eosinophil cultures caused a dose-dependent decrease in the ability of cells to produce RANTES and eotaxin in response to antigen stimulation, and the minimum concentration that caused a significant decrease was 0.05 μM. Although cetirizine also exerted suppressive effects on the production of RANTES and eotaxin by eosinophils, the minimum concentration that caused significant suppression was 0.15 μM, which was three-times higher than that of levocetirizine. Oral administration of levocetirizine for four weeks also reduced RANTES and eotaxin levels in nasal secretions from patients with pollinosis, along with attenuation of clinical symptoms. The ability of levocetirizine to reduce RANTES and eotaxin levels may account, at least in part, for the clinical efficacy of the agent for allergic disorders, including allergic rhinitis.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Ayako
authors: A
authors: Kanei
authors: Division of Physiology, School of Nursing and Rehabilitation Sciences, Showa University, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Kazuhito
authors: K
authors: Asano
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Ken-Ichi
authors: K
authors: Kanai
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Atsuko
authors: A
authors: Furuta
authors: SASAKI Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
authors: Keigo
authors: K
authors: Sasaki
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan h-suzaki@med.showa-u.ac.jp.
authors: Harumi
authors: H
authors: Suzaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017332:Cetirizine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D039563:Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; C472067:levocetirizine; D017332:Cetirizine
keywords: Eotaxin; RANTES; allergic rhinitis; eosinophil; levocetirizine; nasal secretion; production; suppression