Inhibition by somatostatin of the release of mediators from human basophils and rat leukemic basophils.

The release of mediators from unpurified human basophils challenged with anti-human myeloma IgE serum was suppressed significantly by somatostatin at respective concentrations of 3 x 10(-13) M to 10(-9) M for histamine and 10(-13) M to 10(-11) M for leukotriene D4, which had no effect on release elicited by ionophore A23187. A direct effect of picomole-nanomole concentrations of somatostatin on basophils predominated, as shown by the significant inhibition of immunologically stimulated mediator release from monocyte-free human basophils of 15 to 32% purity and from rat basophil leukemia cells. The dependence of basophil inhibition on the conformation of somatostatin was suggested by the lower potency of reduced and alkylated somatostatin and the lack of inhibitory activity of [D-Trp8] somatostatin. Somatostatin thus may mediate suppressive effects of sensory nerves in some basophil-dependent hypersensitivity reactions.