[Development of the research in the field of histamine release]

Histamine release from mast cells is intimately related with degranulation. When basic histamine releasers such as compound 48/80 were applied extracellularly to isolated rat mast cells by means of microelectrophoresis, localized degranulation was evoked near the tip of micropipet in a few seconds. In response to the second electrophoretic application at the opposite side of the membrane of the same mast cells, similar local degranulation was induced. This fact clearly indicates that local degranulation does not damage mast cells to the extent of blocking following degranulation. As intracellular electrophoretic application of compound 48/80 caused a swelling of mast cell, although no degranulation was elicited. When antigen-antibody reaction was induced in a single rat mesentery mast cell by means of microelectrophoresis, the application of antigen was made extracellularly or intracellularly. At the site of extracellular application, localized degranulation and histamine release were evoked. Histamine release was evidenced by the disappearance of histamine fluorescence in the degranulated area. Neither degranulation nor histamine release was induced by intracellular application of antigen. In freeze-fracture electronmicroscopy of the resting rat mast cells, intra-membrane particles (IMPs) were randomly distributed on the plasma membrane. When sensitized cells were exposed to antigen, IMPs were markedly dispersed so as to surround bulging regions of the membrane elicited by swollen granules. As the particles gathered at the periphery of the bulges, actually no particle was seen on the protuberant region. When rat mast cells loaded with quin 2 were exposed compound 48/80 in a Ca-free medium, a marked increase of quin 2 fluorescence was noticed, indicating that Ca2+ was released from intracellular Ca store. The binding of 45Ca was at its peak in the fractions where the highest activity of glucose-6-phosphatase, a marker enzyme for the endoplasmic reticulum, when organelles of mast cells were fractionated. This may indicate that intracellular Ca store is endoplasmic reticulum. It has been shown that microfilaments, and microtubules play some important roles in histamine release from rat mast cells. When permeabilized mast cells were stimulated with Ca2+, a translocation of protein kinase C from cytosol to membrane fraction was observed. This leads to phosphorylation of vimentin, one of intermediate filaments. In membrane skeletons of rat mast cells, alpha- and beta-fodrin, ankyrin and actin were found by means of western blotting analysis. It was supposed that membrane skeleton may be useful as a barrier between the plasma membrane and the granule membrane.