tele-Methylhistamine levels and histamine turnover in nuclei of the rat hypothalamus and amygdala

Mechanistic studies of reactions catalysed by diamine oxidase using isotope effects

Diamine oxidase (DAO), the enzyme that is responsible for amine biodegradation in animals, plants and humans, catalyses the biotransformation of amines such as histamine (HA), putrescine, 1-phenylethylamine, tyrosine, tryptamine, serotonine and spermine. The kinetic and solvent isotope effects (SIEs) were applied to study the mechanism of the biotransformation using HA and its methylderivatives. The SIE for the biotransformation of HA, N(τ)-methylhistamine and N(π)-methylhistamine was found to be 3.58, 2.22 and 5.70 on Vmax, and 1.58, 1.06 and 1.14 on Vmax/KM, respectively. On the other hand, the kinetic isotope effect for oxidation of stereospecifically deuterium-labelled [(α R)-(2)H]-N(τ)-methylhistamine and [(α R)-(2)H]-N(π)-methylhistamine was 0.69 and 0.62 on Vmax, and 15.06 and 7.50 on Vmax/K(M), respectively. These results demonstrate that DAO catalyses amine biotransformation by stereospecifically cleaving the αC-H bond in the pro-S position. Moreover, the oxidation of amine to aldehyde involves several transition states, including hybridisation change from sp(3) (Schiff base) to sp(2) (imine), then back again to sp(3) to give a final product with hybridisation sp(2) (aldehyde).

Histamine in the nervous system

Histamine is a transmitter in the nervous system and a signaling molecule in the gut, the skin, and the immune system. Histaminergic neurons in mammalian brain are located exclusively in the tuberomamillary nucleus of the posterior hypothalamus and send their axons all over the central nervous system. Active solely during waking, they maintain wakefulness and attention. Three of the four known histamine receptors and binding to glutamate NMDA receptors serve multiple functions in the brain, particularly control of excitability and plasticity. H1 and H2 receptor-mediated actions are mostly excitatory; H3 receptors act as inhibitory auto- and heteroreceptors. Mutual interactions with other transmitter systems form a network that links basic homeostatic and higher brain functions, including sleep-wake regulation, circadian and feeding rhythms, immunity, learning, and memory in health and disease.

Inhibited hypothalamic histamine metabolism during isoflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia in rats

BACKGROUND

Histamine is most densely distributed in the hypothalamus and has an important effect on consciousness or wakefulness. It has been little considered whether general anesthetics could exert their effects on hypothalamic histamine metabolism. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia on hypothalamic histamine metabolism.

METHODS

Sixty male Wistar rats were divided equally into isoflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia groups. Each group was divided into three equal sub-groups: the control, anesthesia and recovery groups. The rats of the anesthesia and recovery groups were exposed to either 2% isoflurane or 3% sevoflurane for 30 min. The recovery group was kept in air for 30 min after anesthesia. The rats were decapitated to dissect out hypothalamus which was divided into the fore and rear portion. The contents of histamine and 1-methylhistamine, which is a main histamine metabolite, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The obtained data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance followed by Bonferoni's test.

RESULTS

Histamine contents of the anterior and posterior hypothalamus in both isoflurane and sevoflurane groups increased significantly during the anesthesia and 1-methylhistamine contents of the anterior and posterior hypothalamus in sevoflurane group increased remarkably after anesthesia. The increases of histamine contents supposedly reflected inhibited histamine metabolism and the increases of 1-methylhistamine would be caused by acceleration of histamine degradation.

CONCLUSIONS

Histamine metabolism was inhibited during both isoflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia and accelerated only in the posterior hypothalamus during the emergence from these anesthetics.

Characterization of histamine release from the rat hypothalamus as measured by in vivo microdialysis

The release of endogenous histamine (HA) from the hypothalamus of anesthetized rats was measured by in vivo microdialysis coupled with HPLC with fluorescence detection. Freshly prepared Ringer's solution was perfused at a rate of 1 microliter/min immediately after insertion of a dialysis probe into the medial hypothalamus, and brain perfusates were collected every 30 min into microtubes containing 0.2 M perchloric acid. The basal HA output was almost constant between 30 min and 7 h after the start of perfusion, with the mean value being 7.1 pg/30 min. Thus, the extracellular HA concentration was assumed to be 7.8 nM, by a calculation from in vitro recovery through the dialysis membrane. Perfusion with a high K+ (100 mM)-containing medium increased the HA output by 170% in the presence of Ca2+. Systemic administration of either thioperamide (5 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective H3 receptor antagonist, or metoprine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), an inhibitor of HA-N-methyltransferase, caused an approximately twofold increase in the HA output 30-60 min after treatment. The combined treatment with thioperamide and metoprine produced a marked increase (650%) in the HA output. The HA output decreased by approximately 70% 4-5 h after treatment with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH; 100 mg/kg, i.p.), an inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase. Furthermore, the effect of combined treatment with thioperamide and metoprine was no longer observed in alpha-FMH-treated rats. These results suggest that both HA-N-methyltransferase and H3 autoreceptors are involved in maintaining a constant level of extracellular HA and that their blockade effectively results in a higher activity level of the endogenous histaminergic system in the CNS.