Abstract
The pharmacological effects of disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) were studied in rats during the development of reactions to various allergens or carrageenin. DSCG (10 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, i.v.) showed pronounced inhibitory effects on type I and type III (passive Arthus) allergic reactions. An immunological degranulation of mast cells and a significant decrease in tissue histamine content were observed in type I allergic reactions but not in type III allergic reactions characterized by an apparent infiltration of neutrophils. An antihistaminic agent, promethazine (1 mg/kg, i.v.) was effective only against type I allergic reactions and totally ineffective against type III allergic reactions. Thus, the results obtained above strongly suggest that DSCG exhibits at least two mechanisms of antiallergic action; one is related to mediator release from mast cells and the other is unrelated to mast cell activation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
J.S.G. Cox,Disodium cromoglycate (FPL670) (‘Intal’): a specific inhibitor of reaginic antibody-antigen mechanisms, Nature216, 1328–1329 (1967).
E.S.K. Assem andA.W. Richter,Comparison of in vivoand in vitroinhibition of the anaphylactic mechanism by β-adrenergic stimulants and disodium cromoglycate, Immunology21, 729–739 (1971).
D.S. Thomson andD.P. Evans,Inhibition of immediate hypersensitivity reactions by disodium cromoglycate; Requirements for activity in two laboratory models, Clin. Exp. Immunol.13, 537–544 (1973).
E.J. Kusner, B. Dubnick andD.J. Herzig,The inhibition by disodium cromoglycate in vitroof anaphylactically induced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells, J. Pharmacol. Exptl. Ther.184, 41–46 (1973).
P.R. Butchers, J.R. Fullarton, I.F. Skidmore, L.E. Tompson, C.J. Vardey andA. Wheeldon,A comparison of the anti-anaphylactic activities of salbutamol and disodium cromoglycate in the rat, the rat mast cell and in human lung tissue, Br. J. Pharmacol.67, 23–32 (1979).
R.E.C. Altouyan,Inhibition of experimental asthma by a new compound-Disodium Cromoglycate ‘Intal’, Acta Allerg.22, 487 (1967).
S. Inoue andS. Nishima,Effect of disodium cromoglycate (‘Intal’) on asthmatic children, Jpn. J. Allergol.18, 692–697 (1969) (Abs. in English).
J. Pepys, F.E. Haigreave, M. Chan andD.S. McCarthy,Inhibitory effects of disodium cromoglycate on allergen-inhalation tests, Lancet2, 134–137 (1968).
R.E.C. Altounyan,Developments in the treatment of asthma with disodium cromoglycate (Lomudal), Acta. Allergol.30 (Suppl. 12), 65–83 (1975).
Y. Kano,Methacholine hyperreactivity and DSCG treatment, Jpn. J. Allergol.30, 197–205 (1981) (Abs. in English).
C.E. Reed andR.G. Townley,Asthma: classification and pathogenesis, Allergy Principles and Practice II (ed.E. Middleton,C.E. Reed andE.F. Ellis), C.V. Mosby Company, St Louis, 659–677 (1978).
R. Townley, H. Guirgis, A. Bewtra, G. Watt, K. Burke, K. Carney andN. Omaha,IgE levels and methacholine responses in monozygous and dizygous twins, J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.57, 227 (1976).
J.J. Ouellette andC.E. Reed,Increased response of asthmatic subjects to methacoline after influenza vaccine, J. Alelrgy34, 558–563 (1965).
H. Chai, V. Sathissarat, J. Bigley andK. Molk,The effect of natural measles and chickenpox on methacholine and antigen bronchial sensitivity in children with chronic asthma, J. Allergy Clin. Immunol.51, 94 (1973).
Y. Kawakami,Infection and allergy, Jpn. J. Allergol.27, 605–616 (1978) (Abs. in English).
R.E.C. Altouhyan,Pharmacology of disodium cromoglycate, Schweiz. Med. Wschr.110, 179–181 (1980).
T. Tada andK. Okumura,Regulation of homocytotropic antibody formation in the rat, I. Feed-back regulation by passively administered antibody, J. Immunol.106, 1002–1011 (1971).
A. Koda, H. Nagai andH. Wada,Pharmacological actions of baicalin and bicalein on the active anaphylaxis (Report 1), Folia Pharmacol. Japan66, 194–213 (1970) (Abs. in English).
P.A. Shore, A. Burkhalter andV.H. Cohn,A method for the fluorometric assay of histamine in tissues, J. Pharm. exp. Ther.127, 182–186 (1959).
R.R.A. Coombs andP.G.H. Gell,The classification of allergic reactions underlying disease.In ‘Clinical aspects of immunology’ (ed. byP.G.H. Gell andR.R.A. Combs), Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, 317–337 (1963).
J.S.G. Cox,Disodium cromoglycate. Mode of action and its possible relevance to the clinical use of the drug, Brit. J. Dis. Chest.65, 189–204 (1971).
I. Mota,Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis induced with mast cell sensitizing antibody. The role of histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine, Life Sci.2, 917–927 (1963).
H.Z. Movat,The acute inflammatory reaction; Inflammation of immunity and hypersensitivity, (ed. byH.Z. Movat), Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1–130 (1971).
M.K. Church,Cromoglycate-like anti-allergic drugs: A review, Drugs of Today14, 281–341 (1978).
S.E. Davies,Effect of sodium cromoglycate on exercise induced asthma, Br. Med. J.3, 593–594 (1968).
H. Poppius, A. Muittari andK.E. Kreus,Exercise induced asthma and disodium cromoglycate, Br. Med. J.4, 337–339 (1970).
J.W. Kerr, M. Govindaraj andK.R. Patel,Effect of alphareceptor blocking drugs and disodium cromoglycate on histamine hypersensitivity in bronchial asthma, Br. Med. J.2, 139–141 (1970).
D.M. Jackson andI.M. Richards,The effect of sodium cromoglycate on histamine aerosol-induced reflex bronchoconstriction in the anaesthetized dog, Br. J. Pharmacol.61, 257–262 (1977).
R.G. Alvarez andM.L. Arruzazabala,Current views of the mechanism of action of prophylactic antiallergic drugs, Allergol. Immunopathol.9, 501–508 (1981).
K. Kuriyama andT. Okuno,Stabilizing action of disodium cromoglycate on erythrocyte membrane, J. Pharmacobio. Dyn.4, 779–787 (1981).
K. Kuriyama andK. Ichikawa,An experimental asthma model in unanesthetized rat, and the difference in effect of disodium cromoglycate between passive cutaneous anaphylaxis model and asthma model in rat, J. Pharmacobio Dyn.5, 751–759 (1982).
J. Pepys,Non-immediate asthmatic reactions. In: fundamentals of respiratory diseases, Vol. 1, Bronchial asthma, (ed.R. Pauvels, et al. Belgian Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Ghent, 41–48 (1976).
J. Pepys, M. Turner-Warwick, P. L. Dawson andK. F. W. Hinson,Arthus (Type III) Skin reactions in man: clinical and immunopathological features. In: Allergology, (ed.B. Rose et al.), 6th Congress series, No 162 (1968).
C.G. Charles andA.S. Barbara,Polymorphonuclear leukocytes in immunologic reactions, J. Exp. Med.124, 733–755 (1966).
P.J. Kingsley andJ.S.G. Cox,Cromolin sodium (sodium cromoglycate) and drugs with similar activities. Allergy Principles and Practice I (ed.E. Middleton,C.E. Reed andE.F. Ellis), C. V. Mosby Company, St Louis, 481–498 (1978).
G. Weissman, H. Keiser andA.W. Bernheimer,Studies on lysosomes, J. Exp. Med.118, 205–222 (1963).
P.G. Quie andH.G. James,Antiserum to leucocyte lysosomes, J. Exp. Med.120, 149–168 (1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kuriyama, K., Hiyama, Y., Nagatahira, R. et al. An antiallergic activity of disodium cromoglycate unrelated to mast cell activation. Agents and Actions 18, 473–478 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01964949
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01964949