Influence of Temperature on the Inhibition by Colchicine of Allergic Histamine Release

Colchicine inhibited the release of histamine from sensitized human leukocytes reacted with pollen antigens. Inhibition was significantly greater when cells were treated with colchicine at 0° prior to their reaction with antigen at 37° than when cells were pretreated at 37°. These observations are discussed in terms of the effect of colchicine and low temperatures on cytoplasmic microtubules. Involvement of these structures in the allergic secretion of histamine is proposed.