Mast cell stabilizers are
medications
A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and rel ...
used to prevent or control certain
allergic disorders. They block
mast cell degranulation
Degranulation is a cellular process that releases antimicrobial cytotoxic or other molecules from secretory vesicles called granules found inside some cells. It is used by several different cells involved in the immune system, including granulo ...
, stabilizing the cell and thereby preventing the release of
histamine 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, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...
(allergic rhinitis) and as eye drops for
allergic conjunctivitis.
Finally, in oral form, they are used to treat the rare condition of
mastocytosis.
Examples
Mast cell stabilizer medications include:
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β2-adrenergic agonist
Beta2-adrenergic agonists, also known as adrenergic β2 receptor agonists, are a class of pharmaceutical drug, drugs that act on the Beta-2 adrenergic receptor, β2 adrenergic receptor. Like other Beta-adrenergic agonist, β adrenergic agonis ...
s
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Cromoglicic acid
Cromoglicic acid (INN)—also referred to as cromolyn (USAN), cromoglycate (former BAN), or cromoglicate—is traditionally described as a mast cell stabilizer, and is commonly marketed as the sodium salt sodium cromoglicate or cromolyn sodium. ...
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Ketotifen
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Loratadine
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Desloratadine
Desloratadine (trade names Clarinex and Aerius) is a tricyclic H1 inverse agonist that is used to treat allergies. It is an active metabolite of loratadine.
It was patented in 1984 and came into medical use in 2001.
Medical uses
Desloratad ...
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Methylxanthines
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Olopatadine
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Rupatadine
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Mepolizumab
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Omalizumab
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Pemirolast
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Quercetin
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Nedocromil
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Azelastine
Azelastine, sold under the brand name Optivar among others, is a H1 receptor-blocking medication primarily used as a nasal spray to treat allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and as eye drops for allergic conjunctivitis. Other uses may include asthma ...
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Tranilast
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Palmitoylethanolamide
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Vitamin D
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Bilastine
References
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