The mechanisms of histamine release due to
d-tubocurarine from rat mast cells have long been known to anesthesiologists, such as degranulatory process, Ca++ dependent process and energy coupled process. However, not much is known about histamine release due to some drugs such as
trimethaphan and muscle relaxants other than
d-tubocurarine, like
alcuronium,
pancuronium or
succinylcholine, although many clinical reports related to
hypersensitivity reactions due to muscle relaxants can be found. In this experiment, the
histamine releasing activities of
trimethaphan and muscle relaxants were examined using the laboratory model created by Ellis (1970) who reported the selective release of
histamine due to
d-tubocurarine. Also observed the effects of autonomic neuro-effective drugs such as
theophylline,
isoproterenol or
carbamylcholine on histamine release due to
d-tubocurarine. From this experiment, it is suggested that
trimethaphan releases
histamine through nonselective process but muscle relaxants release
histamine selectively. It is also found that
pancuronium had little effects on rat mast cells and its
histamine releasing activity was selective, if any. Histamine release from rat mast cells due to
d-tubocurarine was clearly depressed by pretreatment of
theophylline or
isoproterenol. In the case of
carbamylcholine, low doses inhibited histamine release, but higher doses allowed
histamine to be liberated from mast cells. From these findings, it is concluded that some drugs like
theophylline or
isoproterenol may diminish the side effects of
d-tubocurarine and perhaps some other muscle relaxants. Also, as
theophylline and
isoproterenol are concerned, increase of
cyclic AMP may play a role in the inhibition of histamine release. The data using
carbamylcholine suggested that the
cholinergic receptors on the rat mast cells may be involved through the process of histamine release.