A comparison of nedocromil sodium and sodium cromoglycate on human lung mast cells obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage and by dispersion of lung fragments.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) mast cells provide a useful tool with which to screen potential therapeutic agents for human airway diseases. This study was therefore designed to compare the activity of nedocromil sodium and sodium cromoglycate in inhibiting anti-IgE induced histamine release from human mast cells obtained by BAL and from dispersed lung (DL) fragments. After 10 min pre-incubation with the mast cell preparations, both drugs displayed greater inhibition of histamine release from BAL than from DL mast cells. Under optimal conditions of 10 min pre-incubation with BAL and none with DL mast cells, nedocromil sodium showed significantly more activity than sodium cromoglycate on both BAL and DL mast cells.