[Liberation of histamine by anaesthetics (author's transl)]

Injection of Epontol (7 mg/kg i.v.) to male healthy students caused a brief increase in plasma histamine concentration from 0.7 ng/ml to 3.0 ng/ml. Combined injection (7 mg/kg) and infusion of Epontol (21 mg/kg during 15 min) or combined injection of Epontol (7 mg/kg) and suxamethonium (0.5 mg/kg) caused a more prolonged appearance of histamine in plasma without higher maximum concentrations. During anaesthesia with ketamine (Ketanest), halothane or nitrous oxide the histamine concentrations in plasma remained unaltered.