Histamine-receptor bearing lymphocytes. II. The use of flow cytofluorometric analysis of histamine-receptors on mouse lymphocytes of different organs.

The histamine binding capacity of cells in various lymphoid organs has been determined by flow cytofluorometric (FCF) analysis of histamine receptors. Using fluoresceinated bovine serum albumin conjugated to histamine (HIS-BSA-FITC) as a staining reagent two distinct lymphocyte subpopulations of differing fluorescence intensity have been identified in each organ investigated. The thymus has a low number of histamine-receptor bearing cells, while bone marrow, lymph nodes and spleen reveal increasing binding capacities to the histamine conjugate. It is suggested that there exists a different susceptibility of distinct lymphocyte subpopulations for histamine, thereby enabling its controlled immunoregulatory activity.