Histamine release from rat mast cells sensitized with mouse antiserum.

The characteristics of the antigen-induced and non-antigen-induced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells sensitized in vitro with mouse anti-ovalbumin serum were investigated. The effects of some antiallergic drugs on these release reactions were also studied. Besides antigen-specific IgE antibody, heat-labile factor(s) responsible for the non-antigen-induced histamine release were found in mouse antiserum. Such factors were also present in normal mouse serum. In the absence of antigen, the combination of phosphatidyl serine and Ca++ induced some extent of histamine release from mast cells treated with these factors. From the present results it is suggested that quercetin selectively and verapamil primarily act to block calcium-gate opening resulting from antigen-antibody interaction on the mast cell membrane, while theophylline and disodium cromoglycate selectively inhibit the passage of calcium through open calcium channels.