Studies on the Kinetics of Histamine Release from Normal and Sensitized Tissues

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Abstract
The present views concerning the manner in which antigens release histamine from sensitized tissues fall into two principal categories embodied either by the enzymatic hypothesis or the displacement hypothesis. The relative merits of these views have been discussed at length in a recent article by Üvnas (1). In order to clarify some of the problems concerning the mechanism of histamine release from tissues by immunological reactants, it is necessary to know what proportion of the total tissue histamine is released immunologically, the kinetics governing release by specific and non-specific agents, the rate of restoration of histamine in the tissue, and whether other substances are concomitantly liberated. The solution of these problems could be significantly facilitated if the antibody concentration on the tissue could be brought under experimental control, and if the site and method of attachment of antibodies to vulnerable cells were known.