Surface histamine receptors in rat peritoneal mast cells. Separation of receptor-bearing cells via binding to a histamine-protein conjugate, Cell-ect.

The Seragen Cell-ect Total Histamine KitTM was used to separate histamine receptor-bearing rat peritoneal mast cells from cells lacking these receptors. It was found that approximately 75% of the peritoneal mast cell population carried cell surface histamine receptors. The results further suggest that the mast cell histamine receptors present are mainly of an H1-type, as judged by the capacity of a specific H1-antagonist to reduce the histamine receptor-dependent cell adhesion. Moreover, an H1-agonist is less efficient in this respect and an H2-antagonist does not affect the cell adhesion at all. A possible functional role for these receptors, however, remains to be clarified.