Colchicine inhibits stimulated release of gastric histamine but not activation of histidine decarboxylase.

In the rat, gastric mucosal histamine is mobilized and histidine decarboxylase activated by treatment with insulin or pentagastrin. Colchicine pretreatment prevented the histamine release without preventing the enzyme activation. The results suggest a) that histamine release and histidine decarboxylase activation are independent events, and b) that microtubules are involved in the release of histamine.