Cardiac anaphylaxis: the role of different mediators. Part I: Histamine.

The main objective of this paper is to review the literature and to present experimental evidence concerning the mediators involved in immediate hypersensitivity reactions in the heart, that is in Cardiac Anaphylaxis. In Part I, the evidence for allergic reactions occurring in the heart is briefly presented. The evidence for the role of histamine as a mediator of some of the manifestations of cardiac anaphylaxis is reviewed. These effects of histamine include a positive chronotropic effect and arrhythmias, both positive and negative inotropic effects and negative dromotropic responses, which are mediated by both classes of histamine receptors.