Histamine levels and clonic convulsions of electrically-induced seizure in mice: the effects of alpha-fluoromethylhistidine and metoprine.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible role of the central histaminergic neuron system in electrically-induced seizure in mice. For this purpose, we examined the effects of intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of histaminergic agents, such as L-histidine, metoprine, and alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (FMH), on electrically-induced seizure. L-Histidine decreased the duration of clonic convulsion in electrically-induced seizure, but not affected that of tonic convulsion. This effect of L-histidine was antagonized by pretreatment with FMH, indicating that it was due to histamine formed by decarboxylation of L-histidine in the central nervous system. The anticonvulsive effect of L-histidine was also reduced by the H1-antagonist pyrilamine, but not by the H2-antagonist zolantidine, indicating that the effect on electrically-induced seizure is mediated through central H1-receptors. Metoprine, which increased the histamine levels in the cerebral cortex, diencephalon and midbrain of mice, decreased the duration of clonic convulsions dose-dependently. Conversely, FMH, which decreased the brain histamine levels, increased the duration of clonic convulsions. Good inverse correlations were found between the duration of clonic convulsions and brain histamine levels, especially in the diencephalon: the histamine levels were inversely proportional to the duration of clonic convulsions. No correlation was found between the duration of tonic convulsions and brain histamine levels. These results suggest that the histaminergic neuron system is important in inhibition of the duration of clonic convulsion on electrically induced seizure in mice.