Hm. Kim et al., INHIBITORY EFFECT OF MAST CELL-MEDIATED IMMEDIATE-TYPE ALLERGIC REACTIONS IN RATS BY SPIRULINA, Biochemical pharmacology, 55(7), 1998, pp. 1071-1076
We investigated the effect of spirulina on mast cell-mediated immediat
e-type allergic reactions. Spirulina dose-dependently inhibited the sy
stemic allergic reaction induced by compound 48/80 in rats. Spirulina
inhibited compound 48/80-induced allergic reaction 100% with doses of
100-1000 mu g/g body weight, i.p. Spirulina (10-1000 mu g/g body weigh
t,i.p.) also significantly inhibited local allergic reaction activated
by anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE. When rats were pretreated with spiru
lina at a concentration ranging from 0.01 to 1000 mu g/g body weight,
i.p., the serum histamine levels were reduced in a dose-dependent mann
er. Spirulina (0.001 to 10 mu g/mL) dose dependently inhibited histami
ne release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) activated by compound
48/80 or anti-DNP IgE. The level of cyclic AMP in RPMC, when spirulin
a (10 mu g/mL) was added, transiently and significantly increased abou
t 70-fold at 10 sec compared with that of control cells. Moreover, spi
rulina (10 mu g/mL) had a significant inhibitory effect on anti-DNP Ig
E induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha production. These results indica
te that spirulina inhibits mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic
reactions in vivo and in vitro. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.