Niacin-induced “Flush” Involves Release of Prostaglandin D2 from Mast Cells and Serotonin from Platelets: Evidence from Human Cells in Vitro and an Animal Model
Dean Papaliodis, William Boucher, Duraisamy Kempuraj, Margaret Michaelian, Adams Wolfberg, Michael House and Theoharis C. Theoharides
+ Author Affiliations
Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory (D.P., W.B., D.K., M.M., T.C.T.) and Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology (A.W., M.H.), Internal Medicine (T.C.T.), and Biochemistry (T.C.T.), Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Address correspondence to:
Dr. Theoharis Constantin Theoharides, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111. E-mail: theoharis.theoharides@tufts.edu
FULL ARTICLE:
http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/327/3/665.full.pdfABOUT NIACIN: AND HISTAMINE
Methylnicotinate had a weak effect on inducing histamine release from human mast cells,
whereas niacin did not increase rat plasma histamine levels. Moreover, the H1-receptor antagonists brompheniramine,
chlorpheniramine, diphenylhydramine, and ketotifen did not block niacin-induced skin temperature increases. Combined,
these results suggest that histamine is not involved in niacininduced flush