Effect of histamine in autoimmune myocarditis mice

The Roles of Cardiovascular H2-Histamine Receptors Under Normal and Pathophysiological Conditions

This review addresses pharmacological, structural and functional relationships among H₂-histamine receptors and H₁-histamine receptors in the mammalian heart. The role of both receptors in the regulation of force and rhythm, including their electrophysiological effects on the mammalian heart, will then be discussed in context. The potential clinical role of cardiac H₂-histamine-receptors in cardiac diseases will be examined. The use of H₂-histamine receptor agonists to acutely increase the force of contraction will be discussed. Special attention will be paid to the potential role of cardiac H₂-histamine receptors in the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias. Moreover, novel findings on the putative role of H₂-histamine receptor antagonists in treating chronic heart failure in animal models and patients will be reviewed. Some limitations in our biochemical understanding of the cardiac role of H₂-histamine receptors will be discussed. Recommendations for further basic and translational research on cardiac H₂-histamine receptors will be offered. We will speculate whether new knowledge might lead to novel roles of H₂-histamine receptors in cardiac disease and whether cardiomyocyte specific H₂-histamine receptor agonists and antagonists should be developed.

Initial Characterization of Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Human Histamine H2 Receptors

In an integrative approach, we studied the role of histamine H₂ receptors in the mouse heart. We noted that histamine, added cumulatively to the organ bath, failed to affect the force of contraction in left atrial preparations and did not change spontaneous heart rate in right atrial preparations from wild-type mice. By contrast, in the same preparations from mice that overexpressed the human H₂ receptor in a cardiac-specific way, histamine exerted concentration- and time-dependent positive inotropic and positive chronotropic effects. Messenger RNA of the human H₂ receptor was only detected in transgenic mice. Likewise, immunohistology and autoradiography only gave signals in transgenic but not in wild-type cardiac preparations. Similarly, a positive inotropic and positive chronotropic effect was observed with histamine in echocardiography of living transgenic mice and isolated perfused hearts (Langendorff preparation). Phosphorylation of phospholamban was increased in atrial and ventricular preparations from transgenic mice, but not in wild-type animals. The effects of histamine were mimicked by dimaprit and amthamine and antagonized by cimetidine. In summary, we generated a new model to study the physiologic and pathophysiologic cardiac role of the human H₂ receptor.

The histamine H4 receptor in autoimmune disease

Histamine exerts its actions through four known receptors. The recently cloned histamine receptor, H4R, has been shown to have a role in chemotaxis and mediator release in various types of immune cells including mast cells, eosinophils, dendritic cells and T cells. H4R antagonists have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and efficacy in a number of disease models, such as those for asthma and colitis in vivo. Recently, H4R antagonists have been developed with high receptor affinity and specificity, which make them good tools for further characterisation of the receptor in animal models and, eventually, in humans. Histamine and the cells that produce it, such as mast cells and basophils, have long been thought to be involved in allergic conditions but there has recently been recognition that they may also play a role in various autoimmune diseases. Given this and the fact that the H4R has function in mast cells, dendritic cells and T cells, antagonists for the receptor may be useful in treating autoimmune diseases in addition to allergy.

Structure of the human histamine H1 receptor gene

Histamine H1 receptor expression has been reported to change in disorders such as allergic rhinitis, autoimmune myocarditis, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis. Here we report the isolation and characterization of genomic clones containing the 5' flanking (regulatory) region of the human histamine H1 receptor gene. An intron of approx. 5.8 kb was identified in the 5' untranslated region, which suggests that an entire subfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors may contain an intron immediately upstream of the start codon. The transcription initiation site was mapped by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends to a region 6.2 kb upstream of the start codon. Immediately upstream of the transcription start site a fragment of 1.85 kb was identified that showed promoter activity when placed upstream of a luciferase reporter gene and transiently transfected into cells expressing the histamine H1 receptor. The promoter sequence shares a number of characteristics with the promoter sequences of other G-protein-coupled receptor encoding genes, including binding sites for several transcription factors, and the absence of TATA and CAAT sequences at the appropriate locations. The promoter sequence described here differs from that reported previously [Fukui, Fujimoto, Mizuguchi, Sakamoto, Horio, Takai, Yamada and Ito (1994) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 201, 894-901] because the reported genomic clone was chimaeric. Furthermore our study provides evidence that the 3' untranslated region of the H1 receptor mRNA is much longer than previously accepted. Together, these findings provide a complete view of the structure of the human histamine H1 receptor gene. Both the coding region of the H1 receptor gene and its promoter region were independently mapped to chromosome 3p25.

Increases in cyclic AMP levels couple to H1 receptors in atria from autoimmune myocarditis mice

We have previously shown that myocardium from experimental autoimmune myocarditis expresses H1 receptors not present in normal mice heart. ThEA acting via H1 receptors, augments cyclic AMP production in atria from autoimmune myocarditis mice without any effect on atria from control mice. Addition of mepyramine before ThEA caused cyclic AMP levels to fall to a level similar to basal, confirming the H1 receptor participation. Histamine at low concentrations mimicked the ThEA action on H1 receptor-stimulation of cyclic AMP production by autoimmune myocardium. The fact that the inhibition of phospholipase C blocked the cyclic AMP stimulation by ThEA, supports the assumption that this action is secondary to receptor-mediated hydrolysis of phosphoinositides, generating some oxidative metabolites (IP3-DAG), which in turn may be responsible for the cyclic AMP effect. So, the inhibition of protein kinase C and calcium/calmodulin partially prevented the stimulatory action of ThEA on cyclic AMP levels in autoimmune myocardium, suggesting that both pathways are implicated in this effect. Data shows that the stimulation of H1 receptors by specific agonist in atria from autoimmune myocarditis mice, augments the cyclic AMP, requiring the hydrolysis of phosphoinositide cycle. The role of this cyclic AMP augmentation in myocardium from autoimmune myocarditis mice, will provide a basis to assess the role of this second messenger as an important factor in the regulation and/or modulation of the physiological behaviour of the heart in the course of autoimmune myocarditis.