Inhibitory effects of steroidal anesthetics on histamine release from rat mast cells stimulated by concanavalin A, compound 48/80 and A23187

Abstract 1. 1. Alphaxalone and alphadolone acetate were found to inhibit histamine release from rat mast cells induced by concanavalin A by blocking the calcium channels of the cells. 2. 2. They also both inhibited the release induced by A23187, but only alphaxalone inhibited the release induced by compound 48/80. 3. 3. It is concluded that the inhibitory effects of these compounds were not due to their anesthetic properties, but may have been due to their inhibition of steps of the release cascade that open calcium channels and subsequent steps.