title: Comparison of cutaneous and in vitro histamine release by muscle relaxants.
abstract: The authors compared histamine release in vitro in a human neonatal foreskin preparation to histamine release in vivo in adult humans with three commonly used muscle relaxants (vecuronium, atracurium, and d-tubocurarine) in concentrations ranging from 10(-1) M to 3 X 10(-3) M. They measured histamine release directly in the in vitro preparation and measured the wheal size resulting from intradermal injection in vivo. Both in vivo and in vitro testing revealed dose-related histamine release with d-tubocurarine and atracurium (P less than .05). Vecuronium did not release histamine at any concentration. It was concluded that the infant foreskin model is a valid predictor of histamine release by muscle relaxants in vivo, and can provide valuable information about mechanisms of histamine release by these, and perhaps others, drugs used in anesthetic practice.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000758:Anesthesia; D001279:Atracurium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D008297:Male; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014403:Tubocurarine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014673:Vecuronium Bromide / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001279:Atracurium; D014673:Vecuronium Bromide; D014403:Tubocurarine