Effects of antidepressants and antihistaminics on catalepsy induced by intracerebroventricular administration of histamine in mice.

The intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of histamine but not N-telemethylhistamine and 1-methyl-4-imidazole acetic acid induced catalepsy in mice. Histamine H1-receptor blockers such as cyproheptadine, mepyramine and diphenhydramine reduced histamine-induced catalepsy. However, astemizole which is known to be without central effects, did not reduce histamine-induced catalepsy. The icv pretreatment with histamine H2-receptor blockers, such as metiamide and cimetidine, also had no effect. Moreover, various antidepressants, both imipramine- and atypical-type drugs antagonized histamine-induced catalepsy to various degrees in this experiment. Thus, the induction of catalepsy by icv administration of histamine was mediated through histamine H1-receptors, and suggested that antidepressants reduced histamine-induced catalepsy via this mechanism. Histamine-induced catalepsy is a possible new animal model of depression which can also be used for evaluation of atypical antidepressants.