Adriamycin-induced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells: role of free radicals.

The effect of pretreatment with various concentrations of catalase, superoxide-dismutase, D-mannitol, alpha-tocopherol, n-acetylcysteine and reduced glutathione on the release of histamine induced by adriamycin (100 micrograms/ml) on rat peritoneal mast cells was studied. Adriamycin caused an important histamine release in vitro which was not affected by pretreatment with the tested substances. Only n-acetylcysteine, at a very high concentration (1 X 10(-1) M) significantly limited this release. The substance was also active in inhibiting the release induced by a classic mast cell secretagogue, compound 48/80.