1. Histamine in allergy and inflammation, mast cells and basophils Mast cell inhibition and reduced ventricular arrhythmias in a swine model of acute myocardial infarction upon therapeutic administration of relaxin

摘要

Resident cardiac mast cells, located mainly around coronary vessels and in the right atrium close to the sinoatrial node, are the main repository of histamine in the heart . Inflammatory activation of cardiac mast cells, as occurs upon acute myocardial infarction, causes the release of histamine and prostanoids . These substances lead to severe tachyarrhythmias, cardiodepression and coronary spasm, thus contributing to myocardial injury and early, lethal outcome . The peptide relaxin (RLX), known to inhibit mast cell and basophil activation , has been recently validated as a cardiotropic hormone , being produced by the heart and acting on specific cardiac receptors . The present study was aimed at evaluating whether the cardioprotective effect of RLX on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion-induced damage described in previous studies also involves the inhibition of cardiac mast cell activation.