Abstract
Histamine potentiates activation of native and recombinant N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), but its mechanisms of action and physiological functions in the brain remain controversial. Using four different models, we have further investigated the histamine-induced potentiation of various NMDAR-mediated responses. In single cultured hippocampal neurons, histamine potentiated NMDA currents. It also potentiated the NMDA-induced increase in intracellular calcium in the absence, as well as with saturating concentrations, of exogenous D-serine, indicating both glycine-dependent and glycine-independent components of its effect. In rat hippocampal synaptosomes, histamine strongly potentiated NMDA-induced [3H]noradrenaline release. The profile of this response contained several signatures of the histamine-mediated effect at neuronal or recombinant NMDARs. It was NR2B selective, being sensitive to micromolar concentrations of ifenprodil. It was reproduced by tele-methylhistamine, the metabolite of histamine in brain, and it was antagonised by impromidine, an antagonist/inverse agonist of histamine on NMDA currents. Up to now, histamine was generally considered to interact with the polyamine site of the NMDAR. However, spermine did not enhance NMDA-induced [3H]noradrenaline release from synaptosomes, and the potentiation of the same response by tele-methylhistaminewas not antagonized by the polyamine antagonist arcaine. In hippocampal membranes, like spermine, tele-methylhistamine enhanced [3H]CGP39653 binding to the glutamate site. In contrast, spermine increased non-equilibrium [3H]MK-801 binding, and suppressed [3H]ifenprodil binding, whereas histamine and tele-methylhistaminehad no effect. In conclusion, the histamine-induced potentiation of NMDARs occurs in the brain under normal conditions. Histamine does not bind to the polyamine site, but to a distinct entity, the so-called histamine site (NMDA(HA)R) of the NMDAR.
- NMDA receptor
- [3H]MK-801 binding
- histamine site
- intracellular calcium
- noradrenaline release
- polyamine site
Footnotes
- Received July 8, 2009.
- Revision received December 10, 2009.
- Accepted December 10, 2009.
- The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics