Histamine receptors coupled to [3H]cAMP accumulation in brain: pharmacological characterization in a vesicular preparation of guinea pig cortex.

The histamine-stimulated accumulation of [3H]cAMP (formed by prelabeling with [3H]adenine) was characterized pharmacologically in a vesicular preparation of guinea pig cortex. The H2 antagonist cimetidine maximally blocked 80% of the response, whereas only 45% of the response could be inhibited by H1 antagonists. A combination of H1 and H2 antagonists completely abolished the response. These and other findings show that both H1 and H2 receptors mediate the response, but 25% of the response may require simultaneous activation of both receptors. A role for adenosine as a mediator of the histamine response was investigated. Adenosine deaminase (EC 3.5.4.4., 2.5 units/ml) decreased basal [3H]cAMP levels, abolished the cimetidine-resistant component of the histamine response, and reduced maximal H1 antagonism of the histamine response to 30%. Treatment with a combination of adenosine deaminase and the calcium chelator EGTA (2 mM) appeared to eliminate the H1 component completely. Under these latter conditions only H2 receptors appeared to mediate the histamine response. Thus, both H1 and H2 receptors stimulate [3H]cAMP accumulation in the vesicular preparation, but the H1 response seems to require either concomitant adenosine or H2 receptor stimulation and may be calcium dependent. These findings differ from those found in broken cell membrane preparations, where only H2 receptors appear to be coupled to adenylate cyclase activation.