Study of the effect of some neuropeptides and endogenous opioid peptides on in vitro histamine release from human lung mast cells and peripheral blood basophils.

In the present study we investigated the effect of substance P, bombesin, beta lipotropin, alpha and gamma endorphins, and metionin and leucin enkephalins on in vitro histamine release from partially purified human lung mast cells and peripheral blood basophils. In the concentration range of 10-100 microM, these neuropeptides and endogenous opioid peptides neither elicited a significant histamine secretions from human lung mast cells and blood basophils, nor influenced the anti-IgE-induced histamine release. These data indicate that human lung mast cells and blood basophils are resistant to the activity of substance P, bombesin, beta lipotropin, alpha and gamma endorphins, and metionin and leucin enkephalins, and confirm the functional heterogeneity of mast cells, depending on the species and the tissue origin.