Potentiation of IgE-mediated cutaneous reactivity and blood leucocyte histamine release by deuterium oxide

A previous study (Gillespie & Lichtenstein, 1972) demonstrated that there was potentiation of histamine release from human peripheral blood leucocytes following exposure to antigin or anti-IgE in deuterium oxide (D2O). The current study confirms the results with human leucocytes and indicates that the degree of histamine release due to anti-IgE or its potentiation by D2O appeared independent of the serum IgE concentration of the cell donor. Further studies demonstrated that the peripheral blood leucocytes from monkeys with a sufficient degree of IgE-mediated reactivity to Ascaris antigen-released histamine following exposure to that antigen. This leucocyte histamine release occurs in animals with immediate-type cutaneous and respiratory reactivity following challenge with this antigen. Peripheral blood leucocytes from certain monkeys release histamine following exposure to anti-human IgE. Both of these Rhesus leucocyte responses are potentiated by D2O. This potentiation of histamine release in vitro in two species by D2O was compared with the potentiation of cutaneous reactivity in IgE-mediated cutaneous reactions in two species. The addition of D2O to Ascaris antigen or anti-IgE increased the end-point cutaneous titres to these stimuli in Rhesus monkeys and the addition of D2O to Ascaris or ragweed antigen increased the end point cutaneous titre to these reactants in allergic dogs. D2O did not potentiate cutaneous reactivity to histamine in either dog or Rhesus monkey.