Reactive oxygen species mediate phorbol ester-stimulated cAMP response in human eosinophils

Recently, we showed that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) can cause a direct, PKC-dependent, stimulation of intracellular cAMP in human eosinophils. Since PMA also stimulates the release of reactive oxygen species in these cells, we have investigated whether reactive oxygen species are involved in the cAMP response. Provided eosinophils were incubated for < 20 min at 37 °C before stimulation, PMA potently stimulated cAMP generation that surpassed that of histamine. Pre-treatment of the cells with the NADPH oxidase inhibitors, diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) and apocynin, strongly inhibited the cAMP production induced by PMA, but not that induced by histamine. This treatment also strongly inhibited the release of superoxide anions (O2−). The cAMP response was also inhibited by pre-treatment with the specific peroxide scavenger, ebselen, but not superoxide dismutase, or NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), thus, suggesting the possible involvement of a peroxide rather than O2− or nitric oxide (NO). These results reveal a novel involvement of intracellular reactive oxygen species in protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent stimulation of cAMP production in human eosinophils.