Which of the following is a mast cell stabilizer: September 2005

Ans. B: Sodium Chromoglycate Mast cell stabilizers are cromone medications used to prevent or control ceain allergic disorders. They block a calcium channel essential for mast cell degranulation, stabilizing the cell and thereby preventing the release of histamine and related mediators. 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. Finally in oral form they are used to treat the rare condition of mastocytosis Cromoglicic acidicromolyrVcromoglycate/cromoglicate is traditionally described as a mast cell stabilizer, and is commonly marketed as the sodium salt sodium cromoglycate or cromolyn sodium. This drug prevents the release of inflammatory chemicals such as histamine from mast cells.