title: The effect of nicotine on basophil histamine release.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Changes in the immune and inflammatory response are induced by smoking tobacco but underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the effect of nicotine agonists on histamine release from human basophils.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood basophils were obtained from healthy volunteers. The effect of the nicotine agonists [-]-1-methyl-2-[3-pyridyl]pyrrolidine and (+)-nicotine di-p-toluoyltartrate salt on cell viability and anti-IgE induced histamine release was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cell viability was not altered by preincubation with the agents for 15 min. Anti-IgE induced histamine release was significantly inhibited by preincubation (15 min, 37 degrees C) with [-]-1-methyl-2-[3-pyridyl]pyrrolidine at the highest concentration tested 10(-)3 M (p<0.01). Preincubation (15 min, 37 degrees C) with (+)-nicotine di-p-toluoyltartrate salt significantly inhibited anti-IgE induced histamine release at 10(-3)M and 10(-5) M (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has demonstrated that nicotine agonists inhibit histamine release from human basophils. Further studies examining the effect of smoking on basophil activation are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Institute of Clinical Science, The Queen's University of Belfast, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BJ, Northern Ireland, UK. l.cree@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: M E M
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Thompson-Cree
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ennis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000494:pharmacology; D001491:Basophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D011725:Pyridines; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; C026408:anti-IgE antibodies; C069076:N-(3-pyridylmethyl)pyrrolidine; D009538:Nicotine