Protein kinase C activation inhibits eosinophil degranulation through stimulation of intracellular cAMP production

The mechanism of inhibition of eosinophil degranulation by protein kinase C (PKC) was investigated in complement C5a (C5a)‐stimulated degranulation of highly purified human eosinophils using the specific PKC activator – phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA). C5a‐induced release of eosinophil peroxidase and eosinophil cationic protein was potently inhibited in a concentration‐dependent manner by PMA (IC50: 3 and 5 nM, respectively). The inhibition by PMA, but not histamine, was significantly reversed by the specific, but isoform nonselective, PKC inhibitor Ro 31‐8220 (1 μM). In the presence of phosphodiesterase inhibitor rolipram (5 μM), PMA stimulated a pronounced concentration‐dependent increase in intracellular cAMP, with a potency 400 times that of histamine (EC50: 55 nM vs 22.5 μM). The inactive PMA analogue, 4α‐PMA, had no such effect. The cAMP production by PMA, but not histamine, was significantly reversed by Ro 31‐8220 (1 μM) and the selective inhibitor of the novel PKCδ, rottlerin (1–3 μM), but not the selective inhibitor of the classical PKC isoforms, Gö 6976 (0.01–0.1 μM). Western blot analysis revealed the presence of six PKC isoforms (α, βI, βII, δ, ι and ζ) in isolated eosinophils. Chelation of internal or external calcium had no effect on PMA‐induced cAMP response, but abolished that induced by histamine. There was a good correlation between increase in intracellular cAMP and inhibition of degranulation. These results show, for the first time, that in human eosinophils, PMA, via activation of PKCδ isoform, can stimulate cAMP production, and that this may be the basis for its potent anti‐degranulatory effect. British Journal of Pharmacology (2004) 143, 725–732. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706028