PRODUCTION OF DIACYLGLYCEROL AND ARACHIDONIC-ACID IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS FROM PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA AND HEALTHY CONTROLS

Background: Enhanced activities of peripheral blood cells are a common characteristic of patients with asthma. Objective: Here we tested whether this could be due to a dysfunction in one or more signal transduction systems. Methods: The production of 1,2-diacylglycerol (1,2-DAG) and arachidonic acid was compared in mononuclear blood cells from patients with asthma (n = 10) and healthy controls (n = 12). Results: Using three different stimuli (concanavalin A, aluminium fluoride or the calcium ionophore A23187) no difference in the production of both 1,2-DAG and arachidonic acid could be found between patients and controls before allergen challenge. Concanavalin A-induced 1,2-DAG production could be inhibited completely in the presence of isoprenaline; concanavalin A-induced arachidonic acid production, partially. The inhibitory effect of adenylate cyclase activation on the production of 1,2-DAG and arachidonic acid was identical in patients and controls. Following allergen challenge, there was a tendency to an increased production of 1,2-DAG and arachidonic acid in controls, whereas in patients there was a tendency to a decreased production. Conclusions: Enhanced cellular activities found in patients with asthma are not caused by an intrinsic dysfunction in production of 1,2-DAG and arachidonic acid.