As the expression level of allergic disease sensitive genes are correlated with the severity of allergic symptoms, suppression of these gene expressions could be promising
therapeutics. We demonstrated that
protein kinase Cδ / heat
shock protein 90-mediated H1R gene expression signaling and nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT)-mediated
IL-9 gene expression signaling are responsible for the pathogenesis of
pollinosis. Treatment with Awa-
tea combined with wild grape hot water extract suppressed these signaling and alleviated nasal symptoms in toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI)-sensitized rats. However, the underlying mechanism of its
anti-allergic activity is not elucidated yet. Here, we sought to identify an
anti-allergic compound from Awa-
tea and
pyrogallol was identified as an active compound.
Pyrogallol strongly suppressed
ionomycin-induced up-regulation of
IL-9 gene expression in RBL-2H3 cells. Treatment with
pyrogallol in combination with
epinastine alleviated nasal symptoms and suppressed up-regulation of
IL-9 gene expression in TDI-sensitized rats.
Pyrogallol itself did not inhibit
calcineurin phosphatase activity. However,
pyrogallol suppressed
ionomycin-induced dephosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NFAT. These data suggest
pyrogallol is an
anti-allergic compound in Awa-
tea and it suppressed NFAT-mediated
IL-9 gene expression through the inhibition of dephosphorylation of NFAT. This might be the underlying mechanism of the
therapeutic effects of combined
therapy of
pyrogallol with
antihistamine. J. Med. Invest. 67 : 289-297, August, 2020.