Changes in the arterial blood pressure increase the release of endogenous histamine in the hypothalamus of anaesthetized cats

Brain mapping: topography of neurons and their transmitters involved in various brain functions

Use of the demanding techniques microdialysis or push-pull superfusion makes it possible to identify neurons in distinct brain areas involved in central control of peripheral functions, thus enabling brain mapping. Investigations with the push-pull superfusion technique have shown that mainly catecholaminergic neurons of the posterior and anterior hypothalamus, the locus coeruleus, and the nucleus of the solitary tract are of crucial importance for blood pressure regulation. Experimentally induced blood pressure changes also modify the release of histamine, glutamate, and taurine in the posterior hypothalamus and of serotonin in the locus coeruleus. Furthermore, histaminergic neurons of the nucleus accumbens are involved in memory, serotonergic neurons of the locus coeruleus in response to noxious stimuli, while nitric oxide of striatum has been implicated in neurotoxicity elicited by amphetamines. The involvement of several neurons in one brain function is discussed.

Histamine: metabolism, physiology, and pathophysiology with applications in veterinary medicine

OBJECTIVE

To review the human and veterinary literature on histamine physiology and pathophysiology and potential applications for clinical use in veterinary critical care.

DATA SOURCES

Human and veterinary clinical studies, reviews, texts, and recent research in histamine receptor and antagonist therapy.

HUMAN DATA SYNTHESIS

Recent progress in molecular biology has led to a more complete understanding of the enzymes involved in histamine metabolism and histamine receptor physiology. The past decade of research has confirmed the role of histamine in the classical functions (contraction of smooth muscle, increase in vascular permeability, and stimulation of gastric acid secretion) and has also elucidated newer ones that are now under investigation. Data on the roles of histamine in angiogenesis, circadian rhythm, bone marrow regeneration, bacterial eradication, and cancer are emerging in the literature. Newer histamine antagonists are currently in drug trials and are expected to advance the clinical field in treatment of allergic, gastrointestinal, and cognitive disorders.

VETERINARY DATA SYNTHESIS

Veterinary histamine research is directed at identifying the effects of certain pharmacological agents on blood histamine concentrations and establishing the relevance in clinical disease states. Research demonstrates important species differences in regards to histamine receptor physiology and tissue response. Studies in the area of trauma, sepsis, anaphylaxis, allergy, and gastrointestinal disorders have direct applications to clinical veterinary medicine.

CONCLUSIONS

Histamine plays a key role in the morbidity and mortality associated with allergy, asthma, gastric ulcers, anaphylaxis, sepsis, hemorrhagic shock, anesthesia, surgery, cardiovascular disease, cancer, CNS disorders, and immune-mediated disease. Histamine antagonism has been in common use to block its adverse effects. With recent advances in the understanding of histamine receptor physiology, pharmaceutical agents targeting these receptors have increased the therapeutic options.

Histamine in the posterodorsal medial amygdala modulates cardiovascular reflex responses in awake rats

Centrally injected histamine (HA) affects heart rate (HR), arterial blood pressure (BP), and sympathetic activity in rats. The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) has high levels of histidine decarboxylase, connections with brain areas involved with the modulation of cardiovascular responses, and is relevant for the pathogenesis of hypertension. However, there is no report demonstrating the role of the MePD histaminergic activity on the cardiovascular function in awake rats. The aims of the present work were: 1) to study the effects of two doses (10-100 nM) of HA microinjected in the MePD on basal cardiovascular recordings and on baroreflex- and chemoreflex-mediated responses; 2) to reveal whether cardiovascular reflex responses could be affected by MePD microinjections of (R)-alpha-methylhistamine (AH3), an agonist of the inhibitory autoreceptor H3; and, 3) to carry out a power spectral analysis to evaluate the contribution of the sympathetic and parasympathetic components in the variability of the HR and BP recordings. When compared with the control group (microinjected with saline, 0.3 microl), HA (10 nM) promoted an increase in the MAP50, i.e. the mean value of BP at half of the HR range evoked by the baroreflex response. Histamine (100 nM) did not affect the baroreflex activity, but significantly decreased the parasympathetic component of the HR variability, increased the sympathetic/parasympathetic balance at basal conditions (these two latter evaluated by the power spectral analysis), and promoted an impairment in the chemoreflex bradycardic response. Microinjection of AH3 (10 microM) led to mixed results, which resembled the effects of both doses of HA employed here. Present data suggest that cardiovascular changes induced by baroreceptors and chemoreceptors involve the histaminergic activity in the MePD. This neural regulation of reflex cardiovascular responses can have important implications for homeostatic and allostatic conditions and possibly for the behavioral displays modulated by the rat MePD.

Endogenous Central Histamine-Induced Reversal of Critical Hemorrhagic Hypotension in Rats: Studies with l-Histidine

Activation of the histaminergic system is characteristic of response to the action of adverse or potentially dangerous stimuli that disturb circulatory homeostasis, such as dehydration and changes in blood pressure. Previous study demonstrates that inhibition of histamine N-methyltransferase, which catabolizes histamine released from neurons, leads to the increase in endogenous central histamine concentrations and to the reversal of critical hemorrhagic hypotension. In the present study, the influence of intraperitoneal loading with histamine precursor L-histidine on central cardiovascular regulation was studied in a model of irreversible pressure-controlled hemorrhagic shock. Experiments were carried out in male Wistar rats anesthetized with ketamine/xylazine subjected to critical hemorrhagic hypotension of 20 to 25 mmHg, which resulted in the death of all control saline-treated animals within 30 min. L-histidine administered in 5 min of critical hypotension produced dose-dependent increases in mean arterial pressure and heart rate (100-500 mg/kg), and a 100% survival rate of 2 h (500 mg/kg), whereas in normotensive animals, it did not influence cardiovascular parameters. The resuscitating effect of L-histidine (500 mg/kg) was associated with increases in histamine concentrations in the cerebral cortex (0.97 +/- 0.11 nmol/g of wet tissue vs. 0.67 +/- 0.22 nmol/g of wet tissue; P<0.05), hypothalamus (4.78 +/- 0.58 nmol/g of wet tissue vs. 4.08 +/- 0.43 nmol/g of wet tissue; P<0.01), and medulla oblongata (0.55 +/- 0.18 nmol/g of wet tissue vs. 0.34 +/- 0.09 nmol/g of wet tissue; P<0.05), as well as with no changes in plasma histamine concentrations in comparison with the saline-treated group 20 min after injection. Pretreatment with (S)-alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH, 0.5 mg intracerebroventricularly), an irreversible inhibitor of L-histidine decarboxylase, produced a decrease in central histamine concentrations and diminished volumes of blood required to achieve critical hypotension. Moreover, alpha-FMH inhibited L-histidine-induced increases in central histamine concentrations and its resuscitating effect. In conclusion, the increase in central histamine concentrations after loading with L-histidine in rats subjected to critical hemorrhagic hypovolemia leads to the reversal of hypotension and the improvement in the survival rate of 2 h. On the other hand, inhibition of L-histidine decarboxylase activity, and thus histamine synthesis, produces a decrease in hemodynamic stability in hypotension, which suggests the histaminergic system-induced activation of compensatory mechanisms in hemorrhagic shock.

The physiology of brain histamine

Histamine-releasing neurons are located exclusively in the TM of the hypothalamus, from where they project to practically all brain regions, with ventral areas (hypothalamus, basal forebrain, amygdala) receiving a particularly strong innervation. The intrinsic electrophysiological properties of TM neurons (slow spontaneous firing, broad action potentials, deep after hyperpolarisations, etc.) are extremely similar to other aminergic neurons. Their firing rate varies across the sleep-wake cycle, being highest during waking and lowest during rapid-eye movement sleep. In contrast to other aminergic neurons somatodendritic autoreceptors (H3) do not activate an inwardly rectifying potassium channel but instead control firing by inhibiting voltage-dependent calcium channels. Histamine release is enhanced under extreme conditions such as dehydration or hypoglycemia or by a variety of stressors. Histamine activates four types of receptors. H1 receptors are mainly postsynaptically located and are coupled positively to phospholipase C. High densities are found especially in the hypothalamus and other limbic regions. Activation of these receptors causes large depolarisations via blockade of a leak potassium conductance, activation of a non-specific cation channel or activation of a sodium-calcium exchanger. H2 receptors are also mainly postsynaptically located and are coupled positively to adenylyl cyclase. High densities are found in hippocampus, amygdala and basal ganglia. Activation of these receptors also leads to mainly excitatory effects through blockade of calcium-dependent potassium channels and modulation of the hyperpolarisation-activated cation channel. H3 receptors are exclusively presynaptically located and are negatively coupled to adenylyl cyclase. High densities are found in the basal ganglia. These receptors mediated presynaptic inhibition of histamine release and the release of other neurotransmitters, most likely via inhibition of presynaptic calcium channels. Finally, histamine modulates the glutamate NMDA receptor via an action at the polyamine binding site. The central histamine system is involved in many central nervous system functions: arousal; anxiety; activation of the sympathetic nervous system; the stress-related release of hormones from the pituitary and of central aminergic neurotransmitters; antinociception; water retention and suppression of eating. A role for the neuronal histamine system as a danger response system is proposed.

Histamine, histidine decarboxylase and histamine-N-methyltransferase in brain areas of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Histamine levels, histidine decarboxylase and histamine-N-methyltransferase activities were determined in various brain areas of young (9-week old) and adult (18-week old) normotensive rats (WKY) and hypertensive rats (SHR). When compared with WKY, histamine levels were increased in the anterior and posterior hypothalamus of young and adult SHR, as well as in the brainstem of young SHR. Histidine decarboxylase activity was unchanged in the posterior hypothalamus and in the medulla oblongata of young and adult SHR as well as in the anterior hypothalamus of young SHR, but it was slightly decreased in the anterior hypothalamus of adult SHR. Histidine decarboxylase activity was enhanced in the cortex-midbrain of young, as well as adult SHR, histamine-N-methyltransferase in the cortex-midbrain of young SHR. The following differences were found between young and adult rats: histamine levels were elevated in the cortex-midbrain of adult WKY and SHR. In the cortex-midbrain and brainstem of adult WKY and SHR histidine decarboxylase activity was also increased, while histamine-N-methyltransferase activity was elevated in the cortex-midbrain of adult WKY. The findings show changes in histamine levels, histidine decarboxylase and histamine-N-methyltransferase activities in SHR and suggest involvement of histaminergic neurons in hypertension. The activity of histaminergic neurons of adult rats seems to be higher than that of young animals.