Eosinophils from granulomas in murine schistosomiasis mansoni produce substance P

Granulomas are chronic, usually focal, tissue-destructive inflammatory reactions that usually form around slowly degradable, poorly soluble substances. They are dynamic lesions, regulated by complex immune mechanisms. Tachykinins are a family of neuropeptides characterized by the common C-terminal amino acid sequence -Phe-X-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2. One such tachykinin, substance P, has been reported to modulate immunologic responses. In this investigation, granulomas were examined for substance P. Granulomas were isolated from the livers of mice infected with murine schistosomiasis, and substance P was extracted. Immunoreactive substance P was detected by RIA. The authenticity of the molecule was confirmed by elution profile on HPLC. Immunoreactive substance P, identified by immunostaining, localized to eosinophils derived from collagenase-dispersed granulomas. Granulomas were then probed for expression of the gene for substance P (preprotachykinin). Preprotachykinin mRNA was localized to granuloma eosinophils by in situ oligonucleotide hybridization. It is concluded that substance P is present within the granuloma as a result of preprotachykinin production by eosinophils.