Conditioned medium from concanavalin A-stimulated spleen cells inhibits the IgE-dependent sensitization of murine peritoneal mast cells in vitro.

Conditioned medium (CM) from concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated murine spleen cells inhibited release of histamine and 5-HT from murine peritoneal mast cells sensitized with monoclonal IgE anti-DNP antibody and challenged with DNP-human serum albumin (HSA) antigen. Inhibition was seen when the CM was added to the mast cells either 24 hr before or simultaneous with, but not 24 hr subsequent to, the IgE, thus showing that inhibition was at the IgE-dependent stage of mast cell sensitization. Unconditioned medium, prepared in the same way as CM but not exposed to spleen cells was without activity, demonstrating that inhibition was due to a spleen cell-derived factor. CM from unstimulated spleen cells was likewise without activity. The sensitization inhibitory factor appears to be a protein, since it was retained upon dialysis, and destroyed by heating at 70 degrees and above. The factor does not appear to be IgE, since it was stable at 56 degrees, and is not IL-1 or IL-2, since recombinant human IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta, and recombinant mouse IL-1 alpha and IL-2 were without inhibitory activity. The active CM and all recombinant IL-1 and IL-2 preparations did not release histamine or 5-HT directly from mast cells during 48 hr of culture, and did not modulate the histamine content of these cells, nor their capacity to incorporate [3H]5-HT.