Effect of inhibitors on histamine release from mast cells recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage in basenji-greyhound and mongrel dogs.

Studies of rodent mast cells have demonstrated that subpopulations differ in regard to their response to inhibitors of histamine release. To determine whether such compounds have different effects on mast cells from Basenji-Greyhound (BG) dogs with airway hyperreactivity and from mongrel dogs, we investigated the effect of cromolyn sodium, nedocromil sodium, theophylline, and quercetin on calcium ionophore A23187-induced histamine release from mast cells recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage. Mast cells recovered from BG and mongrel dogs were similar in respect to morphology and spontaneous and calcium ionophore-induce histamine release. Histamine release from mast cells from both BG and mongrel dogs was inhibited by quercetin (10(-4) M) and nedocromil sodium (5 x 10(-5) M). In contrast, only the histamine release from mast cells recovered from mongrel dogs was inhibited by cromolyn sodium (10(-4) M) and theophylline (5 x 10(-3) M). Thus, mast cells that are similar in regard to morphology and response to histamine liberators may differ in their response to inhibitors of histamine release.