Cerebellar histamine-H1 receptor distribution: an autoradiographic study of Purkinje cell degeneration, staggerer, weaver and reeler mutant mouse strains.

The distribution of 3H-mepyramine binding sites in cerebellae of normal mice and Purkinje cell degeneration, staggerer, weaver and reeler mutant mice was studied by light microscopic autoradiography. The binding of 3H-mepyramine to 20 micron coronal sections through the cerebellum and medulla had the characteristics expected of histamine-H1 receptor labeling. In the cerebellar cortex of normal mice, a high density of 3H-mepyramine binding was observed over the molecular layer and an intermediate density over the Purkinje cell layer, while the granule cell layer and white matter were almost devoid of labeling. The deep cerebellar nuclei were labeled to an intermediate density. In the 54 day old Purkinje cell degeneration mutant cerebellum, which is depleted of Purkinje cells, a greatly reduced labeling of the cerebellar cortex was observed. Labeling in the deep cerebellar nuclei was unaffected. In the 27 day old staggerer cerebellum, a mutation characterized by Purkinje cells which are almost devoid of spines and which do not form synaptic contacts with granule cells, a higher than normal grain density was seen over the cerebellar cortex, while normal grain density was observed over the deep cerebellar nuclei. The cerebellar cortex of 81 day old weaver mice, which is almost devoid of granule cells, had a high grain density over medial regions of the cortex, while the portion of the granule cell layer which remained relatively unaffected in the lateral parts of the cerebellum was unlabeled. The deep cerebellar nuclei had grain densities similar to littermate controls. In the 29 day old reeler cerebellae, which contain malpositioned Purkinje cells, high grain density regions corresponding to the heterotopically located Purkinje cells were observed. The present observations suggest that cerebellar cortical histamine-H1 receptors are associated predominantly with Purkinje cells. Furthermore, the expression of these H1 receptors appears not to be adversely affected by several alterations in the Purkinje cell environment, which have previously been shown to dramatically influence Purkinje cell morphology.