Summary
The hypothalamus of anaesthetized cats and conscious, freely moving rabbits was superfused with CSF through double-walled, push-pull cannulae and the release of endogenous histamine was determined in the superfusates by a radioenzymatic assay.
In the posterior hypothalamic area of the anaesthetized cat, the rate of release of endogenous histamine varied rhythmically; phases of high rate of release appeared at 60 min cycles. The release of histamine was increased by electrical stimulation of the superfused area, as well as by hypothalamic superfusion with potassium-rich CSF.
In the conscious rabbit, the anterior hypothalamic area and the posterior hypothalamic nucleus were superfused simultaneously. In both regions, the resting release of histamine varied rhythmically at approximately 70 min cycles. Phases of high or low-rate of release in the anterior hypothalamic area coincided with the corresponding phases in the posterior hypothalamic nucleus.
The rhythmic release of endogenous histamine in the hypothalamus, as well as the ability of depolarizing stimuli to enhance the release of the amine support the idea that histamine acts as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abou YZ, Adam HM, Stephen WRG (1973) Concentration of histamine in different parts of the brain and hypophysis of rabbit: effect of treatment with histidine, certain other amino acids and histamine. Br J Pharmacol 48:577–589
Adam HM (1961) Histamine in the central nervous system and hypophysis of the dog. In: Ketty SS, Elkes JJ (eds) Regional neurochemistry. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp 293–306
Adam HM, Hye HKA (1966) Concentration of histamine in different parts of the brain and hypophysis of cat and its modification by drugs. Br J Pharmacol 28:137–152
Biggs MJ, Johnson ES (1980) Electrically evoked release of (3H)-histamine from the guinea-pig hypothalamus. Br J Pharmacol 70:555–560
Brown DD, Tomchick R, Axelrod J (1959) The distribution and properties of a histamine-methylating enzyme. J Biol Chem 234:2948–2951
Brownstein MJ, Saavedra JM, Palkovits M, Axelrod J (1974) Histamine content of hypothalamic nuclei of the rat. Brain Res 77:151–156
Dietl H, Philippu A (1979) In vivo release of endogenous GABA in the cat hypothalamus. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 308:143–147
Fifkova E, Marsala J (1967) Stereotaxic atlases for the cat, rabbit and rat. In: Bures J, Petran M, Zachar J (eds) Electrophysiological methods in biological research. Czechoslovac Academy of Sciences, Prague and Academic Press, New York, pp 653–711
Lentzen H, Philippu A (1977) Uptake of tyramine into synaptic vesicles of the caudate nucleus. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 300:25–30
Lipinski JF, Schaumburg HH, Baldessarini RJ (1970) Regional distribution of histamine in the human brain. Brain Res 52:403–408
Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–272
Philippu A (1983) Use of push-pull cannula to investigate the release of endogenous neurotransmitters in distinct brain areas of anaesthetized of freely moving animals. In: Marsden CA (ed) Measurement of neurotransmitter release in vivo. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester (in press)
Philippu A, Przuntek H, Roensberg W (1973) Superfusion of the hypothalamus with gamma aminobutyric acid. Effect on release of noradrenaline and blood pressure. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 276:103–118
Philippu A, Dietl H, Sinha JN (1979) In vivo release of endogenous catecholamines in the hypothalamus. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 308:137–142
Philippu A, Dietl H, Eisert A (1981) Hypotension alters the release of catecholamines in the hypothalamus of the conscious rabbit. Eur J Pharmacol 69:519–523
Philippu A, Hanesch U, Dietl H, Kraus A, Robinson R, Hagen R (1982) Involvement of catecholamine systems in the central effects of histamine on blood pressure. In: Uvnäs B, Tasaka K (eds) Advances in histamine research. Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp 107–113
Pollard H, Bischoff S, Llorens-Cortes C, Schwartz JC (1976) Histidine decarboxylase and histamine in discrete nuclei of rat hypothalamus and the evidence for mast-cells in the median eminence. Brain Res 118:509–513
Schwartz JC, Pollard H, Quash TT (1980) Histamine as a neurotransmitter in mammalian brain: neurochemical evidence. J Neurochem 35:26–33
Snider RS, Niemer WT (1961) A stereotaxic atlas of the cat brain. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Subramanian N, Mulder AH (1976) Potassium-induced release of tritiated histamine from rat brain tissue slices. Eur J Pharmacol 35:203–206
Taylor KM, Snyder SH (1972) Isotopic microassay of histamine, histidine decarboxylase and histamine methyltransferase in brain tissue. J Neurochem 19:1343–1358
Taylor KM, Snyder SH (1973) The release of histamine from tissue slices of the rat hypothalamus. J Neurochem 21:1215–1223
Verdiere M, Rose C, Schwarz JC (1975) Synthesis and release of histamine studied in slices from rat hypothalamus. Eur J Pharmacol 34:157–168
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Philippu, A., Hanesch, U., Hagen, R. et al. Release of endogenous histamine in the hypothalamus of anaesthetized cats and conscious, freely moving rabbits. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 321, 282–286 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00498514
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00498514