Zimatkin S M, Anichtchik O V
Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Grodno.
Alcohol Alcohol. 1999 Mar-Apr;34(2):141-7. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/34.2.141.
Alcohol and histamine metabolic pathways in the body have the common enzymes aldehyde dehydrogenase and aldehyde oxidase. The metabolite of ethanol, acetaldehyde, can effectively compete with the metabolites of histamine, methylimidazole acetaldehyde, and imidazole acetaldehyde. At the periphery, alcohol and acetaldehyde liberate histamine from its store in mast cells and depress histamine elimination by inhibiting diamine oxidase, resulting in elevated histamine levels in tissues. Histamine mediates alcohol-induced gastric and intestinal damage and bronchial asthma as well as flushing in Orientals. On the other hand, alcohol provokes food-induced histaminosis and histamine intolerance, which is an epidemiological problem. There are many controversial reports concerning the effect of H2 receptor antagonists on ethanol metabolism and the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase in the stomach. In addition, alcohol affects histamine levels in the brain by modulating histamine synthesis, release, and turnover. Histamine receptor antagonists can affect ethanol metabolism and change the sensitivity of animals to the hypnotic effects of alcohol. In contrast to other neurotransmitters, the involvement of the brain histamine system in the mechanisms of the central actions of alcohol and in the pathogenesis of alcoholism is poorly studied and understood.
体内酒精和组胺的代谢途径有共同的酶，即乙醛脱氢酶和醛氧化酶。乙醇的代谢产物乙醛能有效地与组胺的代谢产物甲基咪唑乙醛和咪唑乙醛竞争。在周围组织，酒精和乙醛可使组胺从肥大细胞的储存部位释放出来，并通过抑制二胺氧化酶来抑制组胺的清除，导致组织中组胺水平升高。组胺介导酒精引起的胃肠道损伤、支气管哮喘以及东方人的脸红。另一方面，酒精会引发食物诱导的组胺中毒和组胺不耐受，这是一个流行病学问题。关于H2受体拮抗剂对乙醇代谢及胃中酒精脱氢酶活性的影响，有许多有争议的报道。此外，酒精通过调节组胺的合成、释放和周转来影响大脑中的组胺水平。组胺受体拮抗剂可影响乙醇代谢，并改变动物对酒精催眠作用的敏感性。与其他神经递质不同，大脑组胺系统在酒精中枢作用机制及酒精中毒发病机制中的参与情况研究和了解较少。
