[In vitro comparative study of the protective effect of different theophyllines on the leucocytes' histamine-release...

The recent discovery of the protective action of xanthic bases towards histamine-release consecutive to the antigen-antibody reaction led the authors to study the importance of this protection induced by various theophylline derivatives. The technique used was that described by LICHTENSTEIN and OSLER: isolation of leucocytes, measurement of histamine liberated in the presence of antigen, same measurement done in the presence of antigen and theophylline. The antigens used were: house dust, Dermatophagoides pteronyssimus (DP), graminaceae pollens. The tested theophyllines were: the theophylline base, aminophylline, bamiphylline, diprophylline, thio theo, piperazine acefilinate. All these substances studied brought a reduction of the histamine-release but according to a variable frequency and intensity: the thio theo, the diprophylline and the piperazine acefilinate gave the best results. Besides the latters are clearer when the antigen was dust or DP. This study enables the confirmation of the inhibiting action of theophyllines on histamine-release induced by antigen, but complementary studies on a larger number of cases seem necessary in order to determine precisely the most efficient derivatives.