Characteristics of histamine secretion induced by neuropeptides: implications for the relevance of peptide-mast cell interactions in allergy and inflammation.

A variety of basic, sensory neuropeptides induced the release of histamine from rat peritoneal mast cells. However, a wide range of other polycationic agents, such as compound 48/80, the mast-cell-degranulating peptide from bee venom and polylysine also activated this cell type. Histamine release induced by all of these agents had characteristic features in common. In each case, the process was extremely rapid, essentially independent of added calcium or phospholipids, not mediated through cell-fixed antibodies, and inhibited by antagonists of the so-called polyamine receptor. The release was also very species- and tissue-specific. All of the compounds were most active against rat serosal mast cells. Tissue mast cells of this species and peritoneal mast cells of other rodents showed graded responses while guinea pig and human mast cells were unreactive. On the basis of these results, the possible role of peptide-mast cell interactions in neurogenic models of inflammation is discussed.