Rosiglitazone inhibits HMC-1 cell migration and adhesion through a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-dependent mechanism.

Mast cells play an important role in a variety of inflammatory diseases, particularly asthma and atopy. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a member of the large nuclear hormone  receptor  transcription  factor  superfamily, and  has  been  recently implicated in the anti-inflammatory response. To investigate a possible role for PPARγ in human mast cells, we studied the effects of a PPARγ  ligand,  rosiglitazone  (RG),  on  stem  cell  factor  (SCF)-induced  migration  and fibronectin-induced adhesion in human mast cell-1(HMC-1) cells. It was found  that HMC-1 cells expressed PPARγ mRNA. RG inhibited SCF-induced HMC-1 cell migration and fibronectin-induced HMC-1 cell adhesion, the selective PPARγ antagonist GW9662 prevented the inhibitory effect of RG on HMC-1 cells. In conclusion, RG inhibits the migration and adhesion of HMC-1 cells by a PPARγ-dependent mechanism.