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Updated: Sep 6, 2026

Imaging FITC-dextran as a Reporter for Regulated Exocytosis
Published on: June 20, 2018
Inhibitory effects of carbohydrates on histamine release and mast cell disruption by dextran
Abstract:
Alloxan diabetic rats failed to show the skin reaction (blue spot) evoked by dextran, whereas the effects produced by histamine and compound 48/80 were not altered. When dextran and glucose were injected simultaneously into the skin the reaction was inhibited. In vitro, mast cell alterations produced by dextran occurred simultaneously with histamine release; both processes were inhibited by glucose, other carbohydrates related to glucose, and inhibitors of anaphylaxis. These experiments suggest that dextran releases histamine by a mechanism similar to that found with 48/80 and anaphylaxis in the rat. The inhibitory effect of carbohydrates may be understood on the basis of a competitive mechanism.
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