26. A 28-year-old man sustains a skin abrasion on his knee. Within 24 hours, the wound is erythematous and edematous, and a neutrophil-rich exudate is present. Which mediator is MOST directly responsible for the rapid increase in vascular permeability in the first minutes after injury? (A) Vascular endothelial growth factor (B) Interleukin-1 (C) Platelet-activating factor (D) Histamine