[System of pharmacologic control of histamine release by mast cells on exposure to different agents]

A scheme has been devised that makes it possible to assess a specific mechanism of action of any histamine-releasing agent. The scheme suggests a switch off of different stages of histamine secretion--interaction of a histamine liberator with surface cell receptors, entry of Ca2+ into the cell, temperature- and energy-dependent stages of histamine liberation, a stage that depends on microtubules, a system regulating histamine liberation with cyclic nucleotides. The scheme was made use of in clarification of the mechanism of histamine liberation on exposure of the mast cell to a specific antigen, to different doses of heavy metal salts, prednisolone and alkylating cross-binding agents.