Decreased histamine catabolism in the colonic mucosa of patients with colonic adenoma

Endothelial cells-directed angiogenesis in colorectal cancer: Interleukin as the mediator and pharmacological target

Enhanced angiogenesis is a cancer hallmark and critical for colorectal cancer (CRC) invasion and metastasis. Upon exposure to proangiogenic factors, therefore, targeting tumor-associated proangiogenic factors/receptors hold great promise as a therapeutic modality to treat CRC, particularly metastatic CRC. Accumulating evidence from numerous studies suggests that tumor endothelial cells (ECs) are not only the target of proangiogenic factors, but also function as the cellular source of proangiogenic factors. Studies showed that ECs can produce different proangiogenic factors to participate in the regulation of angiogenesis process, in which ECs-derived interleukins (ILs) show a potential stimulatory effect on angiogenesis via either an direct action on their receptors expressed on progenitor of ECs or an indirect way through enhanced production of other proangiogenic factors. Although a great deal of attention is given to the effects of tumor-derived and immune cell-derived ILs, few studies describe the potential effects of vascular ECs-derived ILs on the tumor angiogenesis process. This review provides an updated summary of available information on proangiogenic ILs, such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IL-22, IL-33, IL-34, and IL-37, released by microvascular ECs as potential drivers of the tumor angiogenesis process and discusses their potential as a novel candidate for antiangiogenic target for the treatment of CRC patients.

Histamine Intolerance-A Kind of Pseudoallergic Reaction

Histamine intolerance (HIT) is a common disorder associated with impaired histamine metabolism. Notwithstanding, it is often misdiagnosed as other diseases because of its lack of specific clinical manifestations. HIT did not gain traction until the early 21st century. In this review, we will focus on the latest research and elaborate on the clinical manifestations of HIT, including its manifestations in special populations such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and chronic urticaria (CU), as well as the latest understanding of its etiology and pathogenesis. In addition, we will explore the latest treatment strategies for HIT and the treatment of specific cases.

Guideline on management of suspected adverse reactions to ingested histamine: Guideline of the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI), the Society for Pediatric Allergology and Environmental Medicine (GPA), the Medical Association of German Allergologists (AeDA) as well as the Swiss Society for Allergology and Immunology (SGAI) and the Austrian Society for Allergology and Immunology (ÖGAI)

Adverse reactions to food or food ingredients are more often perceived than objectively verifiable. However, reliable laboratory tests are often lacking. As a result, people with perceived adverse reactions to food often follow extensive elimination diets for years and unnecessarily restrict their diet, as in the case of the frequently suspected histamine intolerance. In this condition, laboratory parameters such as the determination of diamine oxidase in serum have been shown to be inconclusive. The lack of symptom reproducibility calls into question the clinical picture of adverse reactions to ingested histamine. In order to approach persons with perceived histamine intolerance and to support them in moving from blanket restrictions, which are often unnecessarily strict, to effective personalized therapeutic strategies, the present guideline of the Working Group on Food Allergy of the German Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI) in cooperation with the Medical Association of German Allergists (AeDA), the Pediatric Allergology and Environmental Medicine (GPA) as well as the Swiss Society of Allergology and Immunology (SGAI) and the Austrian Society of Allergology and Immunology (ÖGAI) recommends a practicable diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Histamine Intolerance in Children: A Narrative Review

Histamine intolerance is defined as a disequilibrium of accumulated histamine and the capacity for histamine degradation. This clinical term addresses a non-immunologically mediated pathology when histamine ingested with food is not particularly high, however its degradation is decreased. This paper aims to provide a narrative review on etiopathology, epidemiology, possible diagnostic algorithms and diagnostic challenges of histamine intolerance in children. The clinical picture of histamine intolerance in children is similar to that observed in adults apart from male predominance found in paediatric patients. Both in children and adults, a histamine-reduced diet is typically the treatment of choice. Diamine oxidase supplementation offers another treatment option. There is no symptom or test pathognomonic for histamine intolerance. Nevertheless, manifestations of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, measurements of diamine oxidase deficits, positive results of histamine provocation tests and improvement in symptoms with histamine-reduced diet considerably increase the probability of histamine intolerance diagnosis. These factors have been included in the proposed diagnostic algorithm for histamine intolerance. In children histamine intolerance most likely co-occurs with allergies and bowel diseases, which creates an additional diagnostic challenge. As the evidence for children is poor further research is needed the determine epidemiology, validate diagnostic algorithms and establish possible treatment options regarding histamine intolerance.

Histamine Intolerance Originates in the Gut

Histamine intolerance (HIT) is assumed to be due to a deficiency of the gastrointestinal (GI) enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) and, therefore, the food component histamine not being degraded and/or absorbed properly within the GI tract. Involvement of the GI mucosa in various disorders and diseases, several with unknown origin, and the effects of some medications seem to reduce gastrointestinal DAO activity. HIT causes variable, functional, nonspecific, non-allergic GI and extra-intestinal complaints. Usually, evaluation for HIT is not included in differential diagnoses of patients with unexplained, functional GI complaints or in the here-listed disorders and diseases. The clinical diagnosis of HIT is challenging, and the thorough anamnesis of all HIT-linked complaints, using a standardized questionnaire, is the mainstay of HIT diagnosis. So far, DAO values in serum have not been established to correlate with DAO activity in the gut, but the diagnosis of HIT may be supported with determination of a low serum DAO value. A targeted dietary intervention, consisting of a histamine-reduced diet and/or supplementation with oral DAO capsules, is helpful to reduce HIT-related symptoms. This manuscript will present why histamine should also be taken into account in the differential diagnoses of patients with various diseases and disorders of unknown origin, but with association to functional gastrointestinal complaints. In this review, we discuss currently increasing evidence that HIT is primarily a gastrointestinal disorder and that it originates in the gut.

Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art

Histamine intolerance, also referred to as enteral histaminosis or sensitivity to dietary histamine, is a disorder associated with an impaired ability to metabolize ingested histamine that was described at the beginning of the 21st century. Although interest in histamine intolerance has considerably grown in recent years, more scientific evidence is still required to help define, diagnose and clinically manage this condition. This article will provide an updated review on histamine intolerance, mainly focusing on its etiology and the existing diagnostic and treatment strategies. In this work, a glance on histamine intoxication will also be provided, as well as the analysis of some uncertainties historically associated to histamine intoxication outbreaks that may be better explained by the existence of interindividual susceptibility to ingested histamine.

Mouse Colonic Epithelial Cells Functionally Express the Histamine H4 Receptor

We hypothesized that, in mice, histamine via the histamine receptor subtype 4 (H₄R) on colon epithelial cells affects epithelial barrier integrity, perturbing physiologic function of the colonic mucosa and thus aggravating the severity of colitis. To test this hypothesis, bone marrow-chimeric mice were generated from H₄R knockout (H₄R^-/-) and wild-type (WT) BALB/cJ mice and subjected to the dextrane sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced acute colitis model. Clinical symptoms and pathohistological derangements were scored. Additionally, total RNA was extracted from either mouse whole-colon homogenates or primary cell preparations enriched for epithelial cells, and gene expression was analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The impact of the H₄R on epithelial barrier function was assessed by measurement of transepithelial electrical resistence of organoid-derived two-dimensional monolayers from H₄R^-/- and WT mice using chopstick electrodes. Bone marrow-chimeric mice with genetic depletion of the H₄R in nonhematopoietic cells exhibited less severe DSS-induced acute colitis symptoms compared with WT mice, indicating a functional proinflammatory expression of H₄R in nonimmune cells of the colon. Analysis of H₄R expression revealed the presence of H₄R mRNA in colon epithelial cells. This expression could be confirmed and complemented by functional analyses in organoid-derived epithelial cell monolayers. Thus, we conclude that the H₄R is functionally expressed in mouse colon epithelial cells, potentially modulating mucosal barrier integrity and intestinal inflammatory reactions, as was demonstrated in the DSS-induced colitis model, in which presence of the H₄R on nonhematopoietic cells aggravated the inflammatory phenotype. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The histamine H₄ receptor (H₄R) is functionally expressed on mouse colon epithelial cells, thereby aggravating dextrane sodium sulfate-induced colitis in BALB/cJ mice. Histamine via the H₄R reduces transepithelial electrical resistance of colon epithelial monolayers, indicating a function of H₄R in regulation of epithelial barrier integrity.

Histamine receptors and cancer pharmacology: an update

In the present review, we will discuss the recent advances in the understanding of the role of histamine and histamine receptors in cancer biology. The controversial role of the histaminergic system in different neoplasias including gastric, colorectal, oesophageal, oral, pancreatic, liver, lung, skin, blood and breast cancers will be reviewed. The expression of histamine receptor subtypes, with special emphasis on the histamine H4 receptor, in different cell lines and human tumours, the signal transduction pathways and the associated biological responses as well as the in vivo treatment of experimental tumours with pharmacological ligands will be described. The presented evidence demonstrates that histamine regulates cancer-associated biological processes during cancer development in multiple cell types, including neoplastic cells and cells in the tumour micro-environment. The outcome will depend on tumour cell type, the level of expression of histamine receptors, signal transduction associated with these receptors, tumour micro-environment and histamine metabolism, reinforcing the complexity of cancer disease. Findings show the pivotal role of H4 receptors in the development and progression of many types of cancers, and considering its immunomodulatory properties, the H4 receptor appears to be the most promising molecular therapeutic target for cancer treatment within the histamine receptor family. Furthermore, the H4 receptor is differentially expressed in tumours compared with normal tissues, and in most cancer types in which data are available, H4 receptor expression is associated with clinicopathological characteristics, suggesting that H4 receptors might represent a novel cancer biomarker. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on New Uses for 21st Century. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v177.3/issuetoc.

Nutrition therapy for adverse reactions to histamine in food and beverages

Adverse reactions to food are suspected in one third of the German population, but only 10% of these assumed hypersensitivity reactions can be clinically confirmed. While diagnosis of food allergies is fairly easy due to objective laboratory parameters, non-allergic hypersensitivity reactions are difficult to diagnose because these objective markers are lacking so far. Adverse reactions to histamine are often suspected to be the cause of a wide range of symptoms, especially when no allergic pathomechanism can be identified. In order to confirm such a suspicion, it is inevitable to validate a reproducible association between consumption of histamine-rich food and beverages and symptoms to identify causative agents and to exclude other disorders. Thereafter, avoidance tests should be performed on the basis of individual requirements. General advice with a lot of restraints is often unnecessarily strict. Nutrition therapy aims at a reduction of symptoms to a minimum while maintaining a high quality of life.

German guideline for the management of adverse reactions to ingested histamine: Guideline of the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI), the German Society for Pediatric Allergology and Environmental Medicine (GPA), the German Association of Allergologists (AeDA), and the Swiss Society for Allergology and Immunology (SGAI)

Adverse food reactions are far more often perceived than objectively verified. In our scientific knowledge on non-allergic adverse reactions including the so called histamine intolerance, there are large deficits. Due to the fact that this disorder is increasingly discussed in the media and the internet, more and more people suspect it to be the trigger of their symptoms. The scientific evidence to support the postulated link between ingestion of histamine and adverse reactions is limited, and a reliable laboratory test for objective diagnosis is lacking. This position paper by the "Food Allergy" Working Group of the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI) in collaboration with the German Association of Allergologists (AeDA), the Society for Pediatric Allergology and Environmental Medicine (GPA), and the Swiss Society for Allergology and Immunology (SGAI) reviews the data on the clinical picture of adverse reactions to ingested histamine, summarizes important aspects and their consequences, and proposes a practical diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Proinflammatory role of the histamine H4 receptor in dextrane sodium sulfate-induced acute colitis

Millions of people worldwide are suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which severely affects patients' life qualities and even life expectancies. The cause of the ailment is unknown and a profound understanding of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms is still lacking. The biogenic amine histamine is one of several inflammatory mediators, to which a pathogenetic role in IBD has been attributed. Out of the four known histamine receptors, the histamine H4 receptor (H4R) has been demonstrated to act proinflammatory in experimental models of several inflammatory diseases. In order to evaluate a potential involvement of H4R in IBD we investigated the effect of genetic or pharmacological blockade of H4R-signaling in the model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. We analysed severity and progression of clinical signs of colitis, as well as histopathologic alterations in the colons and systemic or local cytokine concentrations. Both genetic deficiency and pharmacological blockade of H4R with the selective antagonist JNJ7777120 improved clinical and histological signs of colitis and dampened the inflammatory cytokine response. Our results indicate a proinflammatory role of histamine via H4R in IBD, thus extending the current pathophysiological understanding of IBD and demonstrating the therapeutic potential of selective H4R-antagonists for patients suffering from IBD.

The therapeutic potential of histamine receptor ligands in inflammatory bowel disease

In the intestine of patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease concentrations of histamine are increased compared to healthy controls. Genetic ablation of histamine production in mice ameliorates the course of experimentally induced colitis. These observations and first pharmacological studies indicate a function of histamine in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. However, a closer examination reveals that available data are highly heterogeneous, limiting the rational design of strategies addressing specific histamine receptor subtypes as possible target for pharmacological interaction. However, very recently first clinical data indicate that antagonism at the histamine receptor subtype H4 provides a beneficial effect in at least the skin. Here, we discuss the available data on histamine effects and histamine receptor subtype functions in inflammatory bowel disease with a special emphasis on the histamine H4-receptor.

Overexpressed miRNA-155 dysregulates intestinal epithelial apical junctional complex in severe acute pancreatitis

AIM: To investigate whether miRNA-155 (miR-155) dysregulates apical junctional complex (AJC) protein expression in experimental severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

METHODS: Twenty-four male BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to two groups: the SAP group (n = 12) receiving sequential intraperitoneal injection of 50 µg/kg caerulein and 10 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide over 6 h, and the control group (n = 12) receiving intraperitoneal injection of normal saline. Animals were sacrificed 3 h following the last injection for collection of blood samples and pancreas and distal ileal segment specimens. Routine pancreas and intestine histology was used to assess SAP pathology and intestinal epithelial barrier damage. Levels of serum amylase, diamine oxidase (DAO), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were determined using commercial kits. Total RNA samples were isolated from intestinal epithelial specimens and reversely transcribed into cDNA. miR-155 and RhoA mRNA expression profiles were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Target genes for miR-155 were predicted using the miRTarBase database, RNA22 and PicTar computational methods. Western blotting was performed to quantitate the protein expression levels of the target gene RhoA, as well as zonula occludens (ZO)-1 and E-cadherin, two AJC component proteins.

RESULTS: Intraperitoneal injection of caerulein and lipopolysaccharide successfully induced experimental acute pancreatic damage (SAP vs control, 10.0 ± 2.0 vs 3.2 ± 1.2, P < 0.01) and intestinal epithelial barrier damage (3.2 ± 0.7 vs 1.4 ± 0.7, P < 0.01). Levels of serum amylase (21.6 ± 5.1 U/mL vs 14.3 ± 4.2 U/mL, P < 0.01), DAO (21.4 ± 4.1 mg/mL vs 2.6 ± 0.8 mg/mL, P < 0.01), and TNF-α (61.0 ± 15.1 ng/mL vs 42.9 ± 13.9 ng/mL, P < 0.01) increased significantly in SAP mice compared to those in control mice. miR-155 was significantly overexpressed in SAP intestinal epithelia (1.94 ± 0.50 fold vs 1.03 ± 0.23 fold, P < 0.01), and RhoA gene containing three miR-155-specific binding sites in the three prime untranslated regions was one of the target genes for miR-155. RhoA (22.7 ± 5.8 folds vs 59.6 ± 11.6 folds, P < 0.01), ZO-1 (46 ± 18 folds vs 68 ± 19 folds, P < 0.01), and E-cadherin proteins (48 ± 15 folds vs 77 ± 18 folds, P < 0.01) were underexpressed in SAP intestinal epithelia although RhoA mRNA expression was not significantly changed in SAP (0.97 ± 0.18 folds vs 1.01 ± 0.17 folds, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: TNF-α-regulated miR-155 overexpression inhibits AJC component protein syntheses of ZO-1, and E-cadherin by downregulating post-transcriptional RhoA expression, and disrupts intestinal epithelial barrier in experimental SAP.

Systematic analysis of histamine and N-methylhistamine concentrations in organs from two common laboratory mouse strains: C57Bl/6 and Balb/c

OBJECTIVE

Histamine plays a role in several (patho) physiological processes that are commonly studied in mouse models. However, a systematic quantification of histamine and its metabolite N-methylhistamine in mouse organs has not been reported so far.

METHODS

Balb/c and C57Bl/6 mice were grouped according to their sex and age. Brains, hearts, lungs, livers, kidneys, stomachs, intestines, thymi, spleens, and lymph nodes were excised, weighed, and homogenized. Histamine and N-methylhistamine were quantified simultaneously by a HPLC-mass spectrometry method.

RESULTS

In all organs analyzed, histamine and N-methylhistamine were detected; however, with quantitative differences. Histamine was present most abundantly in the stomach, lymph nodes, and thymus. The lowest histamine concentrations were detected in brain, liver, lung, and intestine. In most organs, the histamine concentrations increased age-dependently. Substantial concentrations of N-methylhistamine were detected only in lung, intestine and kidney, while in all other organs it was present only in minor quantities.

CONCLUSION

HPLC-mass spectrometry is a useful method for the highly sensitive and simultaneous detection of histamine and N-methylhistamine. Histamine is present in virtually all organs, not only in those traditionally associated with histamine-mediated disease. Highest concentrations are found in stomach, lymph node, and thymus; medium concentrations in heart, spleen, and kidney; and lowest concentrations detected in intestine, brain, liver, and lung.

Histamine receptors and cancer pharmacology

Considerable evidence has been collected indicating that histamine can modulate proliferation of different normal and malignant cells. High histamine biosynthesis and content together with histamine receptors have been reported in different human neoplasias including melanoma, colon and breast cancer, as well as in experimental tumours in which histamine has been postulated to behave as an important paracrine and autocrine regulator of proliferation. The discovery of the human histamine H(4) receptor in different tissues has contributed to our understanding of histamine role in numerous physiological and pathological conditions revealing novel functions for histamine and opening new perspectives in histamine pharmacology research. In the present review we aimed to briefly summarize current knowledge on histamine and histamine receptor involvement in cancer before focusing on some recent evidence supporting the novel role of histamine H(4) receptor in cancer progression representing a promising molecular target and avenue for cancer drug development.

Influence of the interaction between nodal fibroblast and breast cancer cells on gene expression

Our aim was to evaluate the interaction between breast cancer cells and nodal fibroblasts, by means of their gene expression profile. Fibroblast primary cultures were established from negative and positive lymph nodes from breast cancer patients and a similar gene expression pattern was identified, following cell culture. Fibroblasts and breast cancer cells (MDA-MB231, MDA-MB435, and MCF7) were cultured alone or co-cultured separated by a porous membrane (which allows passage of soluble factors) for comparison. Each breast cancer lineage exerted a particular effect on fibroblasts viability and transcriptional profile. However, fibroblasts from positive and negative nodes had a parallel transcriptional behavior when co-cultured with a specific breast cancer cell line. The effects of nodal fibroblasts on breast cancer cells were also investigated. MDA MB-231 cells viability and migration were enhanced by the presence of fibroblasts and accordingly, MDA-MB435 and MCF7 cells viability followed a similar pattern. MDA-MB231 gene expression profile, as evaluated by cDNA microarray, was influenced by the fibroblasts presence, and HNMT, COMT, FN3K, and SOD2 were confirmed downregulated in MDA-MB231 co-cultured cells with fibroblasts from both negative and positive nodes, in a new series of RT-PCR assays. In summary, transcriptional changes induced in breast cancer cells by fibroblasts from positive as well as negative nodes are very much alike in a specific lineage. However, fibroblasts effects are distinct in each one of the breast cancer lineages, suggesting that the inter-relationships between stromal and malignant cells are dependent on the intrinsic subtype of the tumor.

Drug interactions

Drugs for allergy are often taken in combination with other drugs, either to treat allergy or other conditions. In common with many pharmaceuticals, most such drugs are subject to metabolism by P450 enzymes and to transmembrane transport. This gives rise to considerable potential for drug-drug interactions, to which must be added consideration of drug-diet interactions. The potential for metabolism-based drug interactions is increasingly being taken into account during drug development, using a variety of in silico and in vitro approaches. Prediction of transporter-based interactions is not as advanced. The clinical importance of a drug interaction will depend upon a number of factors, and it is important to address concerns quantitatively, taking into account the therapeutic index of the compound.

The polyamine and histamine metabolic interplay in cancer and chronic inflammation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide an update on the major research contributing to deciphering the metabolic interplay of polyamines/histamine and its impact in cancer and chronic inflammation.

RECENT FINDINGS

The most recent and relevant findings that might reflect a link between the polyamines/histamine metabolic interplay and the development of cancer and chronic inflammation-related diseases include: the observation that histamine catabolism is downregulated in the colonic mucosa of patients with colonic adenoma; the finding that some polyamine and histamine-related metabolites are different between a breast cancer cell line and a reference mammary epithelial cell line; and the demonstration of the critical role that mast cells (a cell type in which the polyamine/histamine metabolic interplay has been confirmed) play in the development of pancreatic tumors. There is still, however, a lack of specific studies elucidating the exact contribution of the polyamine/histamine metabolic interplay in these clinical settings.

SUMMARY

In mammalian cells, a polyamine/histamine metabolic interplay has been extensively proven; however, its ultimate effect on human health largely depends on the cell type and environment. Information on this topic is currently fragmented in the literature. In order to develop efficient intervention strategies, it will be necessary to establish an integrated and holistic view of the role of the polyamine/histamine metabolic interplay in each pathological state.