Ischaemic preconditioning and mast cell histamine release: microdialysis of isolated rat hearts

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of intramyocardium kinetics of histamine release by microdialysis in the isolated rat heart and ascertain if the inhibition of histamine release is implicated in the antiarrhythmic effect of preconditioning. A 30 min normothermic global ischaemia model followed by 30 min reperfusion was carried out in the control group ( n = 9). In the preconditioning group ( n = 8) there was a 5 min global ischaemia followed by 10 min of reperfusion. A mast cell stabilizing group received the disodium cromoglycate ( 10 μ M, n = 10). The last group received a mast cell degranulator, compound 48/80 (1 μ g ml −1 , n = 10). In the control group, the histamine release during reperfusion was significantly different from the basal concentration ( 18.4 ± 6.5 vs 1.9 ± 0.5 nM, P P