Histamine release from nasal mucosal mast cells in patients with chronic hypertrophic non-allergic rhinitis, after parasympathetic nerve stimulation.

The vidian nerve provides the main parasympathetic nerve supply to nasal respiratory and maxillary sinus mucosa, and its electrical stimulation causes apparent secretory and vasodilatatory effects in animals. The present investigation was carried out in 8 patients with chronic hypertrophic non-allergic rhinitis (C.H.N.A.R.) undergoing therapeutic vidian nerve resection. The vidian nerve was electrically stimulated before the resection. Samples were taken from nasal sinus mucosa for histamine determination and microscopical observation before and after the stimulation period. Vidian nerve stimulation causes a significant decrease in histamine content and mast cell density in the mucosa sample, differentially influenced by eserine and atropine pretreatment.