Estimation of adenosine triphosphate utilization of rat mast cells during and after anaphylactic histamine secretion

Determination of the cellular content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the rate of ATP-synthesis were used to estimate the cellular utilization of ATP in relation to anaphylactic histamine secretion. There was an increased rate of oxidative ATP-synthesis and a decreased cellular ATP content during the time period of histamine secretion and immediately after its completion. During secretion the additional ATP-utilization above the basal level of ATP-synthesis was 0.51 pmol/10(3) cells. 2.5 min after cell activation, the rate of additional ATP-utilization was 0.30 pmol/10(3) cells/min, and the persistent ATP-decrease observed after 30 and 120 min may be due to a decreased rate of oxidative ATP-synthesis.