The effects of heavy metal ions (Cd2+, Hg2+, Pb2+, Bi3+) on histamine release from human adenoidal and cutaneous mast cells

Abstract

The influence of lead (Pb[CH3COO]2), mercury (HgCl2), cadmium (CdSO4) and bismuth (BiO[ClO4]) on the spontaneous and stimulated histamine release from human adenoidal and cutaneous mast cells was tested in the concentration range 10-8-10-4M. Lead displayed a bell shaped dose-response relationship in adenoidal mast cells with a maximum at 10-6M whereas in cutaneous cells only the spontaneous release was slightly enhanced at 10-4M. Mercury induced a presumably toxic histamine release in adenoidal and cutaneous mast cells at 10-4M. Cadmium increased the histamine release in adenoidal cells at 10-4M but in cutaneous cells only the stimulated release (10-8-10-5M) was affected. Bismuth inhibited the histamine release at 10-4M in the adenoidal mast cells only. In conclusion, human adenoidal and cutaneous mast cells are affected differently by metal ions. © 1992 Birkhäuser Verlag.