Electrophysiological actions of histamien and H₁-,H ₂-receptor antagonists in cardiac tissue

Abstract

Electrophysiological investigations of histamine in different cardiac tissues have led to the following results:

• 1) Histamine and the H₂-agonists dimaprit and impromidine show similar actions on electrophysiological parameters of ventricular myocardium (especially a decrease in action potential duration), which are completely blocked by cimetidine and enhanced by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 1-methyl,3-isobutylxanthine (IBMX). These effects may be explained by an increase in cellular cAMP leading to an increase in slow inward current and outward currents as shown by voltage clamp experiments.

• 2) Histamine in contrast to IBMX increases action potential duration at 90% repolarization (APD₉₀) in atria. Histamine effects in atrial myocardium are completely reversed by the H₁-antagonist dimetindene. Stimulation of atrial H₁-receptors is suggested to directly cause an increase in Ca-channel conductance independent of intracellular cAMP content.

• 3) Histamine reduces AH-interval, increases$\dot V_{max}$ of NH — cells and may induce AV — node arrhythmias (at concentrations ≥ 3 μmol/l). These effects remain unchanged by dimetindene, but are reversed by cimetidine. The results indicate that histamine increases AV — nodal conduction via H₂-receptors.

• 4) Unspecific membrane actions of cimetidine are not observed up to 100 μmol/l. Dimetindene increases action potential duration (APD) in left atria and decreases$\dot V_{max}$ at concentrations ≥ 10 μmol/l. However, H₁-antagonistic actions of dimetindene are already observed at concentrations 1,000 to 10,000 times lower (pA₂—values 8.39–9.12) so that unspecific membrane actions are suggested not to occur on a therapeutic dose level.