title: Regulation of melanocortin 1 receptor in allergic rhinitis in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) was shown to inhibit allergic airway inflammation and exert suppressive effects on human basophils.
  
  
  
  This study aims to extend our current knowledge on the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) expression in nasal tissue of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and functional effects of α-MSH in human basophils especially from patients with allergic rhinitis.
  
  
  
  MC1R expression before and after nasal allergen provocation was studied in nasal mucosal tissue of AR patients and in a mouse model of allergic airway inflammation using immunofluorescence. In vitro regulation of the MC1R and CD203c surface expression on whole-blood basophils of patients with AR and controls was assessed with flow cytometry. Functional effects of α-MSH on isolated basophils were analysed regarding apoptosis with flow cytometry and chemotaxis using a Boyden chamber assay.
  
  
  
  We detected an accumulation of MC1R-positive basophils in nasal mucosa tissue of patients with AR 24 h after nasal allergen provocation. Such accumulation was not present in mucosa sections from healthy controls. In mice with allergic airway inflammation, we found a clear accumulation of MC1R-positive basophils in the nasal tissue compared to control mice. MC1R expression was inducible in AR patients and controls by stimulation with anti-IgE. α-MSH inhibited anti-IgE and grass pollen induced upregulation of CD203c, but had no effect on chemotaxis or apoptosis of basophils in vitro.
  
  
  
  MC1R-positive basophils accumulate in the nasal mucosa of patients with AR after nasal allergen provocation. Since α-MSH suppresses proinflammatory effector functions in human basophils via the MC1R, it constitutes an interesting novel target for modulating the allergic inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kleiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Sint Franciscus Gasthuis, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: G-J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Braunstahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rüdrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gehring
authors.affiliation: Institute for Transfusion Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eiz-Vesper
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Luger
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Steelant
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Seys
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapp
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Hellings
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Raap
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009299:Nasal Provocation Tests; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012882:Skin Tests; D055815:Young Adult; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; C427944:ENPP3 protein, human; D044102:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 1; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D000521:alpha-MSH; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D011755:Pyrophosphatases
keywords: allergic rhinitis; alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone; basophils; melanocortin receptor