Abstract

In severe myocardial ischemia, histamine 3 (H₃) receptor activation affords cardioprotection by preventing excessive norepinephrine release and arrhythmias; pivotal to this action is the inhibition of neuronal Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger (NHE). Conversely, angiotensin II, formed locally by mast cell-derived renin, stimulates NHE via angiotensin II type 1 (AT₁) receptors, facilitating norepinephrine release and arrhythmias. Thus, ischemic dysfunction may depend on a balance between the NHE-modulating effects of H₃ receptors and AT₁ receptors. The purpose of this investigation was therefore to elucidate the H₃/AT₁ receptor interaction in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. We found that H₃ receptor blockade with clobenpropit increased norepinephrine overflow and arrhythmias in Langendorff-perfused guinea pig hearts subjected to ischemia/reperfusion. This coincided with increased neuronal AT₁ receptor expression. NHE inhibition with cariporide prevented both increases in norepinephrine release and AT₁ receptor expression. Moreover, norepinephrine release and AT₁ receptor expression were increased by the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor N^G-methyl-l-arginine and the protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate acetate. H₃ receptor activation in differentiated sympathetic neuron-like PC12 cells permanently transfected with H₃ receptor cDNA caused a decrease in protein kinase C activity and AT₁ receptor protein abundance. Collectively, our findings suggest that neuronal H₃ receptor activation inhibits NHE by diminishing protein kinase C activity. Reduced NHE activity sequentially causes intracellular acidification, increased NO synthesis, and diminished AT₁ receptor expression. Thus, H₃ receptor-mediated NHE inhibition in ischemia/reperfusion not only opposes the angiotensin II-induced stimulation of NHE in cardiac sympathetic neurons, but also down-regulates AT₁ receptor expression. Cardioprotection ultimately results from the combined attenuation of angiotensin II and norepinephrine effects and alleviation of arrhythmias.