Novel association between vasoactive intestinal peptide and CRTH2 receptor in recruiting eosinophils: a possible biochemical mechanism for allergic eosinophilic inflammation of the airways.

We explored the relation between vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), CRTH2, and eosinophil recruitment. It is shown that CRTH2 expression by eosinophils from allergic rhinitis (AR) patients and eosinophils cell line (Eol-1 cells) was up-regulated by VIP treatment. This was functional and resulted into exaggerated migratory response of cells against PGD2. Nasal challenge of AR patients resulted into significant increase of VIP contents in nasal secretion (ELISA), and the immunohistochemical studies of allergic nasal tissues, showed significant expression of VIP in association with intense eosinophil recruitment. Biochemical assays showed that VIP-induced eosinophils chemotaxis from AR patients and Eol-1 cells, was mediated through CRTH2 receptor. Cells migration against VIP was sensitive to protein kinase C (PKC) and protein kinase A (PKA) inhibition, but not to tyrosine kinase or P38 MAP-kinase inhibition, or calcium chelation. Western blot demonstrated a novel CRTH2 mediated cytosol to membrane translocation of PKC-epsilon, PKC-delta and PKA-alpha, gamma and IIalpha reg in Eol-1 cells upon stimulation with VIP. Confocal images and FACS demonstrated a strong association and co-localization between VIP peptide and CRTH2 molecules. Further, VIP induced PGD2 secretion from eosinophils. Our results demonstrate the first evidence of association between VIP and CRTH2 in recruiting eosinophils