Prostaglandin D2 and histamine release in cold urticaria

The release of prostaglandin D2 from human skin in vivo and in vitro during immediate allergic reactions

“…Although PGD2 potentiates the increase in vascular permeability due to histamine in rat skin (Flower et al, 1976) there is no evidence for the potentiation of the wheal (Barnes & Heavey, 1986) erythema, or increased blood flow (Maurice et al, 1987) due to histamine injection in human skin. The relative proportions of histamine and PGD2 found in this study are similar to the ratio in blood draining whealed skin in immediate cold and heat urticaria (Heavey et al, 1986a;Koro et al, 1986) and we conclude that PGD2 has at best a minor role in immediate allergic reactions in skin.…”

“…Previous studies have demonstrated the release of histamine into exudates of human skin in allergic reactions (Dunsky & Zweiman, 1978;Dorsch et al, 1982) and cold urticaria (Misch et al, 1982;Heavey et al, 1986a). In this study we have directly demonstrated release of PGD2 in human skin during immediate hypersensitivity reactions.…”

“…PGD2 is released from passively sensitized guinea-pig skin challenged with antigen in vitro (Kozuka et al, 1987) and further evidence suggesting that mast cells in human skin generate PGD2 has come from studies on subjects with urticaria. Venous blood draining thermally challenged skin contained substantially increased concentrations of PGD2 in both cold (Heavey et al, 1986a) and heat (Koro et al, 1986) urticaria. The time course of release was similar to that of histamine suggesting the mast cell as the common source.…”

“…Intravenous infusion causes vasodilatation . However, a comparison of the ratio of histamine to PGD2 measured in venous blood in patients with urticaria and the relative vasodilator potencies of these compounds when injected into human skin suggests that histamine is the prime mediator of the urticarial wheal and erythema (Heavey et al, 1986a). The significance of PGD2 release remains obscure and its interaction with other mediators in urticaria needs to be investigated.…”

Prostaglandin D2 release from human skin mast cells in response to ionophore A23187

“…Lung mast cells generate prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) in vitro following calcium ionophore A23 187-and IgE-dependent activation (Holgate et al, 1984). Evidence ofPGD2 generation by human skin derives from experiments in vivo in which local provocation of cold or heat urticaria and anaphylaxis is accompanied by a rise in venous plasma histamine or PGD2 concentrations (Heavey et al, 1986;Koro et al, 1986;Barr et al, 1986). The precise function of released PGD2 in the skin is not known, although recent studies have shown it to be a weak vasodilator in the human cutaneous vasculature (Beasley et al, 1987) and it is also a weak chemokinetic agent in human leukocytes (Goetzl et al, 1976) causing neutrophil accumulation when injected 'Author for correspondence at: Clinical Pharmacology, CF104, Centre Block, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton S09 4XY. intradermally (Soter et al, 1983).…”