Mast cell stabilizers are
medications used to prevent or treat certain
allergic disorders. They block
mast celldegranulation, stabilizing the cell and thereby preventing the release of
histamine[1] and related mediators. One suspected pharmacodynamic mechanism is the blocking of
IgE-regulated calcium channels. Without intracellular calcium, the histamine vesicles cannot fuse to the cell membrane and degranulate.
As inhalers they are used to treat
asthma, as nasal sprays to treat
hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and as eye drops for
allergic conjunctivitis.[2] Finally, in oral form, they are used to treat the rare condition of
mastocytosis.
^Castillo M, Scott NW, Mustafa MZ, Mustafa MS, Azuara-Blanco A (2015). "Topical antihistamines and mast cell stabilisers for treating seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis". Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 6 (6): CD009566.
doi:
10.1002/14651858.CD009566.pub2.
hdl:2164/6048.
PMID26028608.