Further Observations on the Effect of Anoxia on Histamine Release from Guinea‐Pig and Rat Lung Tissue in Vitro

Abstract

Histamine release was induced in vitro by antigen from sensitized guinea‐pig and rat lung tissue, and by compound 48/80 and Ascaris extract from non‐sensitized rat lung tissue. Preexposure of the lung tissue to nitrogen anoxia in the absence of glucose (“pre‐incubation”) markedly inhibited histamine release subsequently elicited under nitrogen in the presence of glucose, or under oxygen in its absence, whereas the same procedure had a comparatively smaller effect on histamine release induced under oxygen in the presence of glucose. Washing the lung tissue after“pre‐incubation” enhanced the histamine release subsequently induced under nitrogen with glucose, whereas histamine release under oxygen with or without glucose was less affected by the washing procedure. Rat and guinea‐pig lung tissue exposed to compound 48/80 and antigen, respectively, during“pre‐incubation” was found to be insensitive to a second exposure to the same histamine releaser. The results are explained on the assumption that high‐energy compounds available at the time of exposure of the lung tissue to the histamine‐releasing agents are of consequence for histamine release to proceed. They also suggest that the initial reaction (coupling of antigen to antibodies and of compound 48/80 to active sites) occurs without involvement of high‐energy compounds.