Pretreatment with parthenolide for 60 min inhibited the antigen-induced degranulation
of RBL-2H3 mast cells; the IC50 value being 4.5 ± 0.4 µM. The inhibition was not due to suppression of the phosphatidylinositol
3-kinase pathway because the antigen-induced phosphorylation of Akt was not inhibited
by parthenolide. The antigen-induced increase in intracellular calcium levels was
prevented by parthenolide, suggesting that parthenolide inhibited the antigen-induced
degranulation by suppressing an increase in intracellular calcium levels. In support
of this, parthenolide was found to prevent ionomycin-induced degranulation by inhibiting
an increase in intracellular calcium levels. Therefore, parthenolide inhibits the
degranulation of mast cells by preventing an increase in intracellular calcium levels.
Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch. Bip. - Asteraceae - parthenolide - RBL‐2H3 mast cells - degranulation -
β‐hexosaminidase - intracellular calcium