Co-Stimulation of Purinergic P2X4 and Prostanoid EP3 Receptors Triggers Synergistic Degranulation in Murine Mast Cells

Abstract

Mast cells (MCs) recognize antigens (Ag) via IgE-bound high affinity IgE receptors (FcεRI) and trigger type I allergic reactions. FcεRI-mediated MC activation is regulated by various G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists. We recently reported that ionotropic P2X4 receptor (P2X4R) stimulation enhanced FcεRI-mediated degranulation. Since MCs are involved in Ag-independent hypersensitivity, we investigated whether co-stimulation with ATP and GPCR agonists in the absence of Ag affects MC degranulation. Prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) induced synergistic degranulation when bone marrow-derived MCs (BMMCs) were co-stimulated with ATP, while pharmacological analyses revealed that the effects of PGE₂ and ATP were mediated by EP3 and P2X4R, respectively. Consistently, this response was absent in BMMCs prepared from P2X4R-deficient mice. The effects of ATP and PGE₂ were reduced by PI3 kinase inhibitors but were insensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors which suppressed the enhanced degranulation induced by Ag and ATP. MC-dependent PGE₂-triggered vascular hyperpermeability was abrogated in a P2X4R-deficient mouse ear edema model. Collectively, our results suggest that P2X4R signaling enhances EP3R-mediated MC activation via a different mechanism to that involved in enhancing Ag-induced responses. Moreover, the cooperative effects of the common inflammatory mediators ATP and PGE₂ on MCs may be involved in Ag-independent hypersensitivity <i>in vivo</i>.