Histamine Release from Rat Mast Cells Passively Sensitised with Homocytotropic (IgE) Antibody

Abstract

A simple procedure for achieving allergic histamine release in vitro from rat peritoneal mast cells sensitised with homocytotropic antibody is described. Two factors are critical to this reaction; firstly, the ionic composition of the incubation medium must include Ca++ and Mg++ during the release phase, and secondly, the nature of the sensitising serum is important, for although the IgE contents of a number of sera were shown to be comparable as judged by PCA titres in vivo, their ability to sensitise isolated cells differed markedly.