Effect of Chinese herbal medicines and disodium cromoglycate on IgE-dependent histamine release from mouse cultured mast cells

We examined the effect of anti-allergic Chinese herbal medicines such as Ma-Xing-Gan-Shi-Tang (MXGST) and Xiao-Feng-San (XFS), and a mast cell stabilizer, disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) on histamine release from mouse cultured mast cells. The mast cells (ILMCMC) were obtained by culturing mouse bone marrow cells for 3-6 weeks in the presence of IL-3. Some of the cells (FMCMC) were further cultured with a fibroblast cell line, 3T3 for 3 weeks. FMCMC had safranin-positive granules and released histamine in response to compound 48/80, whereas ILMCMC failed to do so. MXGST and XFS at 4-40 mu g/ml inhibited IgE-dependent histamine release from ILMCMC but not from FMCMC. On the contrary, DSCG at 10(-4) M inhibited histamine release From FMCMC but not from ILMCMC. Chinese herbal medicines and DSCG may act on different types of mast cells. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the International Society for Immunopharmacology.