TY - JOUR T1 - <em>IN VITRO</em> HISTAMINE RELEASE FROM RAT PERITONEAL CELLS BY <em>BETA</em>-MERCAPTOETHYLAMINE AND CYSTAMINE JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther SP - 380 LP - 384 VL - 144 IS - 3 AU - Gale E. Demaree AU - Roy L. Mundy AU - Melvin H. Heiffer AU - David P. Jacobus Y1 - 1964/06/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/144/3/380.abstract N2 - Cystamine and beta - mercaptoethylamine (MEA) induced a release of histamine from suspensions of peritoneal cells of the rat. The response to cystamine was proportional to the logarithm of the concentration over a range of 10-4 M to 10-2 M but the response to MEA increased and then decreased with increasing concentrations. The percentage of histamine released from peritoneal cells in response to both cystamine and MEA was proportional to the time of incubation from 20 to 90 minutes. Aminoethanethiosulfuric acid at comparable concentrations did not induce release of histamine from peritoneal cells. MEA was rapidly converted to cystamine in peritoneal cell suspensions. The evidence supports the hypothesis that histamine release in response to MEA, both in vitro and in vivo, is due to the cystamine formed from MEA. The Williams &amp; Wilkins Company ER -