Sensory neuropeptides are potent chemoattractants for human basophils

Introduction: Basophils are estimated to play a key role in pulmonary diseases such as allergic rhinitis or asthma. The sensory neuropeptides substance P (SP) and secretoneurin (SN) seem to be involved via neurogenic inflammation. Thus, their chemoattractant potency for human basophils was investigated. Methods: Basophils were isolated from venous blood from healthy donors via the magnetic cell sorting technique. Cells were allowed to migrate towards fMLP (10–6 to 10–12M), SN and SP (both from 10–6 to 10–14M) in modified Boyden chambers. To explore the signalling pathway, cells were preincubated with enzyme bloc…