There is a fundamental gap in our understanding of why skin diseases, such as chronic urticaria and psoriasis, are aggravated by stress. The long-term goal of this research is to define the role of mast cells in inflammatory diseases. The objective of this application is to identify the contribution of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptors and neurotensin (NT) receptor-1 in stress-induced skin mast cell activation and increased vascular permeability, using both a mouse model and human skin biopsies. Restraint stress increases skin mast cell degranulation, CRH content and vascular permeability;these effects are unaffected in SP-/- and CRH-/- mice, but absent in W7WV mast cell deficient mice. CRH increases vascular permeability when injected intradermally in mice, but this effect is blocked by the NTR-1 antagonist SR48692 and is absent in NT -/- mice, demonstrating the critical role of NT. Stress may elicit release of CRH and NT from dorsal root ganglia (DRG) skin terminals and activate mast cells expressing functional CRHR and NTR-1. The clinical relevance of these findings is evidenced by increased expression of CRHR-1 and histidine decarboxylase (HOC) in affected skin from patients with chronic urticaria, indicating the involvement of CRH and mast cells. The central hypothesis is that CRH released in the skin by acute stress, alone or together with NT, activates mast cells leading to increased vascular permeability and neurogenic inflammation. Guided by strong preliminary data, this hypothesis will be tested by pursuing four specific aims: (1) Determine the importance of CRHR and NTR-1 on stress and intradermal CRH-induced skin mast cell activation and vascular permeability using CRHR-1-/-, CRHR-2-/-, double CRHR -/-, or NTR-1-/- mice. (2) Determine if CRHR or NTR-1 need to be expressed on skin mast cells by reconstituting W/WV mast cell deficient mice with bone marrow progenitors from the appropriate CRHR-/- or NTR-1 -/- mice. (3) Investigate the expression of CRHR and NTR-1 in human skin biopsies from atopic dermatitis, chronic urticaria and psoriasis patients, and correlate findings with serum CRH levels and extent of stress by using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). (4) Investigate the effect of CRH and NT on release from human skin biopsy explants and human cultured mast cells of proinflammatory cytokines. Our approach is innovative because it utilizes knockout mice and reconstitution techniques to understand how stress-derived neuropeptides contribute to skin inflammation, and employs novel methods of assaying mediator release. The proposed research is significant because it is expected to advance understanding of how acute stress increases skin vascular permeability and neurogenic inflammation. This is an important and under investigated area of skin pathophysiology that has potential applicability to understanding the pathogenesis of skin diseases and screening compounds that may develop into novel and effective treatments.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AR047652-09
Application #
7878847
Study Section
Arthritis, Connective Tissue and Skin Study Section (ACTS)
Program Officer
Cibotti, Ricardo
Project Start
2001-04-13
Project End
2012-06-30
Budget Start
2010-07-01
Budget End
2011-06-30
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$344,178
Indirect Cost
Name
Tufts University
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
039318308
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02111
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Petra, Anastasia I; Panagiotidou, Smaro; Hatziagelaki, Erifili et al. (2015) Gut-Microbiota-Brain Axis and Its Effect on Neuropsychiatric Disorders With Suspected Immune Dysregulation. Clin Ther 37:984-95
Theoharides, Theoharis C; Tsilioni, Irene; Arbetman, Lauren et al. (2015) Fibromyalgia syndrome in need of effective treatments. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 355:255-63
Theoharides, Theoharis C; Athanassiou, Marianna; Panagiotidou, Smaro et al. (2015) Dysregulated brain immunity and neurotrophin signaling in Rett syndrome and autism spectrum disorders. J Neuroimmunol 279:33-8
Weng, Zuyi; Patel, Arti B; Panagiotidou, Smaro et al. (2015) The novel flavone tetramethoxyluteolin is a potent inhibitor of human mast cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol 135:1044-52.e5
Theoharides, Theoharis C; Petra, Anastasia I; Stewart, Julia M et al. (2014) High serum corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and bone marrow mast cell CRH receptor expression in a mastocytosis patient. J Allergy Clin Immunol 134:1197-9
Petra, Anastasia I; Panagiotidou, Smaro; Stewart, Julia M et al. (2014) Spectrum of mast cell activation disorders. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 10:729-39
Miniati, A; Weng, Z; Zhang, B et al. (2014) Stimulated human melanocytes express and release interleukin-8, which is inhibited by luteolin: relevance to early vitiligo. Clin Exp Dermatol 39:54-7
Weng, Zuyi; Patel, Arti B; Vasiadi, Magdalini et al. (2014) Luteolin inhibits human keratinocyte activation and decreases NF-?B induction that is increased in psoriatic skin. PLoS One 9:e90739
Vasiadi, M; Mondolfi, A P; Alysandratos, K-D et al. (2013) Neurotensin serum levels and skin gene expression are increased in atopic dermatitis. Br J Dermatol 169:695-9

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