Abstract
Prostaglandin (PG) E 2 induces wakefulness when administered into the posterior hypothalamus, the structure that contains the tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) which is the major source of histaminergic innervation of the mammalian brain. However, the neurotransmitter mechanisms responsible for the arousal effect of PGE 2 still remain unclear. In this study, we perfused PGE 2 into the TMN of rats through a microdialysis probe and examined the activities of the histaminergic system in the rat brain. PGE 2 perfusion of the TMN at doses of 40 and 200 pmol/min for 2 h significantly increased the histamine release from the medial preoptic area in a dose-dependent manner, as measured by in vivo microdialysis. In addition, perfusion of PGE 2 (200 pmol/min) into the TMN for 1 h significantly increased the histamine content by 31%, and histidine decarboxylase activity by 21% in the hypothalamus, as compared with the values for the control group. These findings indicate that PGE 2 can activate the histaminergic system in the rat brain.
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