Original contribution

Histamine and TNF-α release by rat peritoneal mast cells stimulated with Trichomonas vaginalis

Histamine et TNF-α secrétés par les mastocytes péritonéaux stimulés par Trichomonas vaginalis chez le rat

¹ Department of Environmental Biology and Medical Parasitology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, #17 Haengdang-dong, Sungdong-gu, Seoul 133-791, Korea
² Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu 705-718, Korea
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 133-791, Korea
⁴ Department of Pharmacology, College of Oriental Medicine, Institute of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea

^* Correspondence: Jae-Sook Ryu. Tel.: 82 2 2220 0683 – Fax: 82 2 2281 6519. E-mail: jsryu@hanyang.ac.kr

Received: 7 July 2010
Accepted: 1 October 2010

Abstract

Mast cells have been reported to be predominant in the vaginal smears of patients infected with T. vaginalis. In this study, we investigated whether T. vaginalis could induce mast cells to migrate and to produce TNF-α and histamine. Rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC), a primary mast cell, were used for the study. T. vaginalis induced an increase in chemotactic migration of the mast cells toward excretory and secretory product (ESP) of T. vaginalis, and the mast cells activated with T. vaginalis showed an increased release of histamine and TNF-α. Therefore, mast cells may be involved in the inflammatory response caused by T. vaginalis.

Résumé

Les mastocytes sont observés en quantité importante dans les sécrétions vaginales de patientes infectées par T. vaginalis. Cette étude explore pourquoi T. vaginalis induit la migration des mastocytes et leur production de TNF-α et d’histamine. Des mastocytes péritonéaux du rat ont été utilisés pour cette étude. Les produits d’excrétion-sécrétion de T. vaginalis induisent une augmentation de la migration chémotactique des mastocytes, et les mastocytes ainsi activés par T. vaginalis augmentent leur production d’histamine et de TNF-α. Les mastocytes seraient donc impliqués dans la réaction inflammatoire à T. vaginalis.