A study recently published in Applied Biological Chemistry found that ethyl-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carboxylate (EtCC) suppresses mast cell-mediated allergic responses, suggesting it may be a potential treatment for allergic responses such as those seen in systemic mastocytosis (SM).
Allergies occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies a harmless substance as one that is foreign and threatening. The cells that are overactive in SM, mast cells, are heavily involved in this process. When an allergic reaction occurs, mast cells release chemicals like histamines and cytokines that create the symptoms of an allergic reaction. While this response is helpful if there is a genuine threat, in the case of allergic reactions these chemicals can cause harm.
EtCC is a derivative of coumarin, a compound found in many plants; previous studies have found that coumarin derivatives may have anti-allergic effects. To better understand if EtCC can be used to reduce unwanted immune responses, the study’s authors conducted a series of laboratory tests to assess how EtCC influences allergic pathways.
Read more about systemic mastocytosis testing and diagnosis
They found that EtCC did in fact suppress the release of histamine and other chemicals from mast cells (called degranulation), alleviating the severity of allergic reactions.
EtCC was found to do more than just suppress mast cell degranulation.
EtCC suppressed the expression of several cytokines that increase mast cell activity. It also suppressed the MAPK and AKT signaling pathways, which are important allergic inflammatory mediators. EtCC inhibited important cellular mechanisms in mast cells stimulated by immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody closely linked to mast cell activation and histamine release. In mice studies, EtCC was also found to suppress allergic processes by reducing the ability of symptom-causing chemicals to move from the blood vessels into the tissues.
“In conclusion, EtCC was shown to mitigate allergic inflammation by inhibiting mast cell degranulation and reducing cytokine production,” the study’s authors wrote. “Collectively, these findings highlight EtCC as a promising candidate for the development of anti-allergic therapeutics.”
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