Zh. Jaffar et Fl. Pearce, SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ATP-INDUCED HISTAMINE-RELEASE FROM AND PERMEABILIZATION OF RAT MAST-CELLS, Agents and actions, 40(1-2), 1993, pp. 18-27
Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) induced a characteristic
, dose-dependent release of histamine and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) from
rat peritoneal mast cells. The process was relatively slow, non-cytot
oxic, maximal at physiological pH and dependent on external calcium. S
trontium and barium ions were able to substitute for calcium, although
higher concentrations were required for maximal release. Cells stimul
ated in the absence of calcium progressively lost the ability to respo
nd to subsequent reintroduction of the cation. The secretion of histam
ine induced by ATP was largely unaffected by the anti-asthmatic drugs
disodium cromoglycate and nedocromil sodium but was inhibited by struc
turally related flavonoids and by cAMP-active drugs. Importantly, the
non-hydrolysable guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) analogue, GTP-gamma-S
, elicited a dose-dependent release of histamine when introduced into
mast cells permeabilized with ATP in the absence of external calcium.
ATP thus appears to be a useful cell permeabilizing tool with which to
study the biochemical processes involved in mast cell activation.