Brain histaminergic system in mast cell-deficient (Ws/Ws) rats: histamine content, histidine decarboxylase activity, and effects of (S) alpha-fluoromethylhistidine.

The mast cell-deficient [Ws/Ws (White spotting in the skin)] rat was investigated with regard to the origin of histamine in the brain. No mast cells were detected in the pia mater and the perivascular region of the thalamus of Ws/Ws rats by Alcian Blue staining. The histamine contents and histidine decarboxylase (HDC) activities of various brain regions of Ws/Ws rats were similar to those of +/+ rats except the histamine contents of the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. As the cerebral cortex and cerebellum have meninges that are difficult to remove completely, the histamine contents of these two regions may be different between Ws/Ws and +/+ rats. We assume that the histamine content of whole brain with meninges in Ws/Ws rats is < 60% of that in +/+ rats. So we conclude that approximately half of the histamine content of rat brain is derived from mast cells. Next, the effects of (S) alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (FMH), a specific inhibitor of HDC, on the histamine contents and HDC activities of various regions of the brain were examined in Ws/Ws rats. In the whole brain of Ws/Ws rats, 51 and 37% of the histamine content of the control group remained 2 and 6 h, respectively, after FMH administration (100 mg/kg of body weight). Therefore, we suggest that there might be other histamine pools including histaminergic neurons in rat brain.