The relation of tissue mast cells to immune reactions, particularly anaphylaxis, has been the subject of extensive investigation and speculation in recent years. It is generally agreed that a variety of pharmacologically active substances are involved in the pathogenesis of anaphylaxis, that many of these substances are stored in tissue mast cells, and that anaphylaxis in many species is mediat...

Human basophils participating in experimentally produced contact allergy display progressive secretion of electron-dense secretory granule contents and retention of cytoplasmic granule containers in the absence of entire granule extrusion, a process termed piecemeal degranulation (PMD) and postulated to be effected by vesicular transport (Dvorak HF, Dvorak AM: Clin Hematol 4:651, 1975). Proof o...

BACKGROUND Schefflera leucantha Viguier is used as a traditional medicine in Thailand and China to relieve chronic cough and asthma. However, little is known about its anti-allergic effects. OBJECTIVE This study was designed to investigate the effects of S leucantha ethanol extract (SLEE) on chemokine production by epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) stimulated with peptidoglycan (PEG) from Stap...

Baliospermum montanum leaves yielded 3-hydroxy-2,4-dimethoxy-10-methyl-9-acridanone (1), an alkaloid from the CHCl₃ fraction. Spectroscopic analysis was performed to assign the structure of the new compound (1) and its absolute configuration. The compound was evaluated for its effect in anaphylaxis by estimation of the release of histamine in systemic anaphylaxis model. The acridanone alkaloid ...

Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation, goblet cell hyperplasia, the aberrant production of the Th2 cytokines, and eosinophil infiltration into the lungs. In this study, we examined the effects of baicalein, wogonin, and Scutellaria baicalensis ethanol extract on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma by evaluating Th1/Th2 cytokine levels, histopathologic analysis, and compound 48/80-induced s...

Type I food allergies, which result in immediate onset anaphylaxis and atopy, have been frequently described and involve mast cell-bound, allergen-specific IgE. Degranulation of the activated mast cell induces the release of vasoactive and inflammatory mediators, including histamine (Tortora & Grabowski, 2000, p769). Such IgE-mediated responses affect about 2% of the British population (Allergy...

Background: Pediatric mastocytosis includes a rare spectrum of diseases characterized by abnormal mast cell infiltration in one or more organs. The cutaneous form (urticaria pigmentosa) is the most frequent pediatric clinical variant.1 Various stimuli may cause mast cell degranulation leading to mediator release. However, there have only been few reports of serious anesthesia-related complicati...

The anaphylatoxin C5a is a potent trigger for basophil degranulations, but in contrast to IgE-dependent basophil activation, it does not result in the synthesis of sulfidoleukotrienes (leukotriene C4/D4/E4). Thus, degranulation and the generation of lipid mediators are separately regulated cellular responses. Exposure of human blood basophils to the cytokine IL-3 alone does not induce the relea...