Isolation of mast cells from rabbit lung and liver: comparison of histamine release induced by the hypnotics Althesin and propanidid.

The enzyme collagenase was used to disperse rabbit lung and liver into their component cells. The resulting cell suspensions contained ca. 6.9% (lung) or 6.5% (liver) mast cells and were used in studies of histamine release without further purification. Both cell suspensions exhibited a low spontaneous release of histamine (ca. 6.6% lung, ca. 7.2% liver). Both cell types responded to challenge with anti-rabbit serum with a maximum release of the amine of ca. 22% (lung) and ca. 45% (liver). Concanavalin A challenge generally resulted in bell-shaped dose response curves, however some lung preparations did not respond. The rabbit cells were refractory to stimulation by Compound 48/80 and dextran. However a dose-dependent release of histamine was elicited after challenge with the detergents cremophor El, TN (12-hydroxystearic acid polymerized with ethylene oxide, degree of polymerization 15) and the hypnotics Althesin and propanidid. The maximum release observed depended on which cell preparation had been used. These results further emphasize the functional heterogeneity of mast cells from both different species and from different organs within the same species.