The effects of exogenous histamine in isolated rat hearts

Histamine deficiency exacerbates myocardial injury in acute myocardial infarction through impaired macrophage infiltration and increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis

Histamine is a biogenic amine that is widely distributed and has multiple functions, but the role it plays in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the origin and contribution of endogenous histamine to AMI. Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) is the unique enzyme responsible for histamine generation. Using HDC-EGFP bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice in which EGFP expression is controlled by the HDC promoter, we identified HDC expression primarily in CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) immature myeloid cells (IMCs) that markedly increase in the early stages of AMI. Deficiency of histamine in HDC knockout mice (HDC(-/-)) reduced cardiac function and exacerbated the injury of infarcted heart. Furthermore, administering either an H1 receptor antagonist (pyrilamine) or an H2 receptor antagonist (cimetidine) demonstrated a protective effect of histamine against myocardial injury. The results of in vivo and in vitro assays showed that histamine deficiency promotes the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and inhibits macrophage infiltration. In conclusion, CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) IMCs are the predominant HDC-expressing sites in AMI, and histamine plays a protective role in the process of AMI through inhibition of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and facilitation of macrophage infiltration.

The protective effect of H2-receptor activation against the duration of myocardial hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced ventricular fibrillation in sensitized guinea-pig hearts

Patients with high serum immunoglobulin E levels were reported to be protected against sudden death during acute myocardial infarction. The protection mechanism might be attributed to the facilitation of histamine release from sensitized mast cells; however, this remains to be clarified. In this study, we examined the influence of sensitization on ventricular fibrillation (VF) induced by myocardial hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Guinea pigs were actively sensitized by subcutaneous injection of ovalbumin in Bordetella pertussis vaccine. Hearts isolated from non-sensitized and sensitized guinea pigs were subjected to 30-min hypoxia / 30-min reoxygenation using a Langendorff apparatus. The amount of histamine released in the sensitized guinea-pig hearts was elevated, and the duration of VF was found to be reduced. The treatment with a histamine H2-receptor antagonist inhibited the reduction of VF duration. Treatment of the non-sensitized hearts with the histamine H2-receptor agonist resulted in the decrease of VF duration to the same level as that in the sensitized hearts. In conclusion, these results suggest that the risk of sudden death during myocardial H/R may be attenuated in the sensitized hearts and that histamine H2-receptor activation due to the released histamine may be involved in the protective effect.

Species-dependent hemodynamic effects of adenosine A3-receptor agonists IB-MECA and Cl-IB-MECA

The purpose of this study was to compare the hemodynamic effects of the adenosine A3-receptor agonists N6-(3-iodobenzyl)-9-[5-(methylcarbamoyl)-beta-D-ribofuranosyl]aden ine (IB-MECA) and 2-chloro-N6-(3-iodobenzyl)-9-[5-(methylcarbamoyl)-beta-D-ribofu ranosy l]adenine (Cl-IB-MECA) in isolated rat and rabbit hearts and in the intact, open-chest pig. Isolated hearts perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer at a constant pressure (70 mmHg) were treated with 50 nM of either IB-MECA or Cl-IB-MECA. Neither IB-MECA nor Cl-IB-MECA altered ventricular function or heart rate in the isolated rat and rabbit hearts, and neither agent altered coronary flow in the rabbit. However, 2 min of IB-MECA treatment in the isolated rat heart increased coronary flow by 25%, an effect that did not exhibit tachyphylaxis. The IB-MECA-induced coronary dilation was only partially attenuated by the adenosine A3-receptor antagonist MRS-1191 (50 nM). IB-MECA-induced coronary dilation was completely blocked by the adenosine A2a-receptor antagonist 7-(2-phenylethyl)-5-amino-2-(2-furyl)-pyrazolo-[4,3-e]-1,2, 4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine (Sch-58261, 50 nM). Cl-IB-MECA (50 nM) did not increase coronary flow in the rat, but 100 nM did increase flow by 18%. In pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized pigs IB-MECA (5 micrograms/kg iv) decreased systemic blood pressure and increased pulmonary artery pressure, effects that did exhibit tachyphylaxis. These results illustrate that adenosine A3-receptor agonists produce species-dependent effects, which in the rat heart appear to be caused by adenosine A2a-receptor activation.