The role of mast cell disruption in the acute manifestations of the intravenous injection of morphine in dogs

Evaluation of histamine release during constant rate infusion of morphine in dogs

“…This is probably related to the smaller initial degranulation following the loading dose in this group, preserving the releasable pool of histamine for future release. It has been shown that when extensive degranulation occurs, as happened in our study after the loading dose in the HM group, the magnitude of a subsequent histamine release is reduced markedly because of granule depletion and the slow restoration rate of the pool of histamine by the mast cells (Feldberg & Talesnik 1953; Akcasu & Unna 1970; Muldoon et al. 1984).…”

“…1992), was visible mainly in the skin around the lips, internal surface of the ears and oral mucosa in both groups receiving morphine. No other external signs of histamine release such as edema, wheals, vomiting and dysphoria (Akcasu & Unna 1970) were observed, although the animals tended to vocalize more frequently during the morphine infusions. Occasional ventricular premature contractions were noticed in one dog during both doses of morphine but not during saline infusion.…”

“…Morphine‐induced histamine release has been noted both in human beings and dogs, and it is exacerbated apparently by fast intravenous administration of high doses (Akcasu & Unna 1970; Schurig et al. 1978; Akcasu et al.…”

“…Morphine acts primarily at mast cells, inducing non‐cytotoxic degranulation that is partially calcium dependent. It is still unclear whether opioid receptor binding and activation is necessary for the morphine‐induced mast cell degranulation (Akcasu & Unna 1970; Ellis et al. 1970; Muldoon et al.…”

Comparison of plasma histamine levels after intravenous administration of hydromorphone and morphine in dogs

“…, 1982; Robinson et al. , 1988) but not intramuscularly (EP Robinson, unpublished data) or subcutaneously (Akcasu & Unna, 1970). Finally, even though hydromorphone does not appear to induce histamine release in humans (Golembiewski, 2003), this may not apply to other animals given the considerable heterogeneity in the response of mast cells from different species, or even from different tissues within the same individual, to histamine liberators (Pearce, 1982).…”