title: Spontaneous histamine secretion during isolation of rat cardiac mast cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that spontaneous release of histamine occurring during an isolation protocol may modify responses of rat cardiac mast cells (connective tissue-type mast cells) to secretagogues.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed two protocols for enzymatic dispersion utilizing collagenase, hyaluronidase, and deoxyribonuclease; with protease (Protocol 1, n = 8) or without protease (Protocol 2, n = 3). Spontaneous release of histamine was quantified following mechanical and enzymatic dispersion of the whole heart.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total histamine loss (Mean +/- SEM) was 963+/-92 and 833+/-60 ng/g of tissue weight following Protocols 1 and 2. Percentages of histamine release from cell isolates following Protocol 1 were 40+/-5%, 41+/-6%, and 51+/-7% at 0, 30, and 300 microg/mL of compound 48/80.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enzymatic dispersion of cardiac mast cells affects their response to secretagogues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5517, USA.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Forman
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Brower
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Janicki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D006632:Histamine / Q000032:analysis; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000187:drug effects; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D003189:p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003189:p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine; D006632:Histamine