title: Histamine metabolism after adverse reactions due to d-tubocurarine administration.
abstract: We investigated histamine release in five female patients, submitted for gynaecological surgery, after intravenous administration of the neuromuscular blocking agent d-tubocurarine. In these patients, we measured the plasma levels of histamine and its metabolites, N tau-methylhistamine and N tau-methylimidazoleacetic acid, making use of mass fragmentographic methods. The newly developed determination of plasma N tau-methylimidazoleacetic acid had a within-day coefficient of variation of 2.7% (n = 10). Normal values of N tau-methylimidazoleacetic acid in plasma ranged from 41.3-75.6 nmol/l (n = 13). All five patients developed anaphylactoid reactions: two patients showed severe systemic reactions, one patient a minor systemic reaction and two had skin reactions only. Plasma histamine and N tau-methylhistamine levels appeared to be the most reliable biochemical parameters for confirming both the occurrence and severity of an anaphylactoid reaction. In comparison with plasma histamine, the determination of plasma N tau-methylhistamine is less hampered by artefacts caused by blood collection and plasma preparation. Together with the fact that the increase in plasma N tau-methylhistamine levels after anaphylactoid reactions lasts much longer than the increase in plasma histamine levels, this leads to the conclusion that the determination of plasma N tau-methylhistamine is a useful retrospective parameter for histamine release in this type of pathological state. The plasma N tau-methylimidazoleacetic acid levels fluctuated considerably, showing only a significant increase after administration of d-tubocurarine in the two patients who had severe anaphylactoid reactions. This parameter is, therefore, less useful in such studies.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000601:surgery; D006339:Heart Rate; D006632:Histamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000097:blood; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008761:Methylhistamines / Q000097:blood; D014403:Tubocurarine / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D008761:Methylhistamines; C002667:methylimidazoleacetic acid; D006632:Histamine; D014403:Tubocurarine; C048140:N-methylhistamine