Mast cell response to formaldehyde. 2. Induction of stress-like proteins.

Previously we established that immediately after pretreatment with low concentrations (5-10 micrograms/ml) of formaldehyde antigen- and ionophore-induced histamine secretion was enhanced from peritoneal mast cells (PMC) isolated from rats infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. In contrast to immediately following pretreatment with low concentrations of formaldehyde, 3 h after a 30-min treatment with formaldehyde (10, 50 and 100 micrograms/ml) antigen-induced histamine secretion from PMC was significantly depressed, and 35S-methionine incorporation was also decreased. To further explore the effects of formaldehyde on mast cells, we investigated protein biosynthesis of PMC following formaldehyde treatment and compared this with the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or heat treatment. One- and two-dimensional SDS-PAGE were used to assess the effects. Formaldehyde treatment induced the synthesis of 70- and 72-kD stress-like proteins in rat PMC. Pretreatment of PMC with 50 microM H2O2 and heat (45 degrees C) also induced proteins with the same molecular weight. Two-dimensional SDS-PAGE analysis established that formaldehyde-induced 70-kD proteins had the same pI values as 70-kD heat shock proteins previously observed in mammalian cells. These results suggest that formaldehyde, H2O2 and heat shock induce stress proteins in rat PMC. It will be important to establish whether or not these stress proteins are responsible for the functional alterations observed in the mast cells.