Clinopodium gracile inhibits mast cell-mediated allergic inflammation: involvement of calcium and nuclear factor-kappaB.

Mast cell-mediated allergic disease is involved in many diseases such as anaphylaxis, rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis. The discovery of drugs for the treatment of allergic disease is an important subject in human health. In this study, we investigated the effect of the water extract of Clinopodium gracile Matsum var. multicaule (WECG) on the mast cell-mediated allergic inflammation and studied the possible mechanism of action. WECG inhibited compound 48/80-induced systemic anaphylaxis and immunoglobulin E-mediated cutaneous anaphylaxis in a dose-dependent manner. WECG dose-dependently reduced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells and human mast cells. The inhibitory effect of WECG on histamine release was mediated by the modulation of intracellular calcium. In addition, WECG attenuated the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium ionophore A23187-stimulated gene expression and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 in human mast cells. The inhibitory effect of WECG on these proinflammatory cytokines was nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) dependent. Our findings provide evidence that WECG inhibits mast cell-derived allergic inflammation and involvement of calcium and NF-kappaB in these effects.