Mast cells down-regulate CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cell suppressor function via histamine H1 receptor interaction.

Mast cells promote both innate and acquired immune responses, but little is known about the effect of mast cells on T regulatory (T(reg)) cell function. In this study, we show for the first time that the capacity of murine CD4(+)CD25(+) T(reg) cells to suppress in vitro proliferation by CD4(+)CD25(-) T responder (T(resp)) cells in response to anti-CD3/anti-CD28 mAb-coated beads was reduced in the presence of syngeneic bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC) activated by FcepsilonR cross-linking. Activated BMMC culture supernatants or exogenous histamine also inhibited T(reg) cell suppressor function while the histamine H1 receptor-specific antagonist loratadine, but not the H2 receptor-specific antagonist famotidine, restored T(reg) cell suppressor function in the presence of activated BMMC or activated BMMC culture supernatants. Moreover, treatment of T(reg) cells with loratadine, but not famotidine, rescued T(reg) cell suppressor function in the presence of exogenous histamine. In addition, the H1 receptor-specific agonist 2-pyridylethylamine dihydrochloride inhibited T(reg) cell suppressor function to an extent that was comparable to histamine, whereas the H2 receptor-specific agonist amthamine dihydrobromide was without effect. Both T(reg) cells and T(resp) cells expressed H1 receptors. Exposure to histamine caused T(reg) cells to express lower levels of CD25 and the T(reg) cell-specific transcription factor Foxp3. Taken together, these data indicate that BMMC-elaborated histamine inhibited T(reg) cell suppressor function by signaling through the H1 receptor. We suggest that histamine released as a result of mast cell activation by microbial products might cause a transient decrease in T(reg) cell suppressor function, thereby enhancing the development of protective immunity.