Formation and Binding of Histamine by Free Mast Cells of Rat Peritoneal Fluid

¹ From the Rheumatic Fever Research Institute, Chicago, Illinois

Suspensions of the cells of rat peritoneal fluid have a marked ability to decarboxylate C¹⁴ l-histidine and bind the resulting histamine in stable form. The evidence is strong that this activity is due almost entirely to mast cells; these constitute about 4% of the total number of cells present. The effects of temperature, time, and ph on this process were found to be characteristic of enzymic reactions. Preincubation of cell suspensions with nonisotopic histamine had no effect on the formation and binding of C¹⁴ histamine; this is evidence that exogenous histamine cannot enter the bound condition in free mast cells. The effects of histidine analogs on binding is described. Disruption of the mast cells results in a considerable loss in histamine forming activity. However, a fairly stable, soluble histidine decarboxylase can be obtained from the disrupted cells. A new method for determination of histamine as the S³⁵ dibenzenesulfonyl derivative is described.

Note:
with the technical assistance of Rosa L. Smiley and K. Jane Davis

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Padawer Autoradiography of Mast Cells Incubated With Tritiated Histidine, Cytidine or Thymidine: A Preliminary Report Angiology, October 1, 1961; 12(10): 538 - 545. [PDF]

				P. P. VAN ARSDEL Jr. and G. N. BEALL The Metabolism and Functions of Histamine Arch Intern Med, November 1, 1960; 106(5): 714 - 733. [Abstract] [PDF]