Guinea pig anaphylaxis: Time course of changes in cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP

Abstract The time course of changes in the levels of cyclic AMP and GMP and in histamine and prostaglandin release following the onset of anaphylaxis in guinea pig lung (sliced, minced and whole perfused) was studied. A parallel change in the cyclic nucleotide levels was found. There was an initial increase, followed by a decrease, and a subsequent greater and more prolonged increase. Significant histamine and prostaglandin release occurs at approximately the same time while prostaglandin metabolite is released later. Metiamide does not affect histamine or prostaglandin release but abolishes the initial cyclic nucleotide peak and delays the appearance of the secondary increase. The pattern of cyclic nucleotide changes in lung tissue thus appears to be different from that in isolated mast cells. The initial and late increases might be the response of two different cell populations to histamine.