Histamine H2-Receptor Plays Only a Minor Role in Histamine-Induced Wheal Response in the Squirrel Monkey and Guinea Pig

Abstract

We examined the contribution of the histamine H2-receptor to the histamine-induced wheal response in squirrel monkeys and guinea pigs. Intradermal injection of histamine, 2-pyridylethylamine (a selective H1-agonist), and dimaprit (a selective H2-agonist) dose-dependently induced the wheal response in squirrel monkeys and guinea pigs, although the reaction to dimaprit was much weaker than that to the other agonists. Chlorpheniramine dose-dependently depressed the wheal response in squirrel monkeys and guinea pigs at doses of 0.03-1 mg/kg and 0.03-3 mg/kg, p.o., respectively. However, famotidine, ranitidine and cimetidine had no effect at doses up to 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg, p.o. in guinea pigs and up to 1, 10 and 400 mg/kg, p.o. in squirrel monkeys, respectively. Cimetidine (3-300 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently potentiated the inhibitory effects of chlorpheniramine (0.1 mg/kg, p.o.) in guinea pigs, but had no effects in squirrel monkeys. Famotidine and ranitidine did not alter the response to chlorpheniramine in either animal. These results suggest that the histamine H2-receptor plays only a minor role in the histamine-induced wheal response in squirrel monkeys and guinea pigs.