Calcium antagonists and histamine secretion from rat peritoneal mast cells.

The calcium antagonists verapamil and nifedipine inhibited histamine release induced from rat peritoneal mast cells by a number of secretory stimuli. However, the concentrations required were much higher than those active in smooth muscle preparations. The inhibition was unaffected by elevated levels of external calcium and the drugs prevented release in the absence of added calcium. The novel calcium antagonist, PY 108-068, had no effect on histamine secretion from mast cells. These results suggest that calcium channels in the mastocyte may differ from those in smooth muscle and that at concentrations required to inhibit secretion, verapamil and nifedipine may have non-specific stabilizing effects on the mast cell membrane.