Newly synthesized histamine accelerates ornithine decarboxylase activity in rat intestinal mucosa after ischemia-reperfusion.

We previously demonstrated that both histamine synthesis (histidine decarboxylase activity) and polyamine synthesis (ornithine decarboxylase activity) increased in the rat intestinal mucosa after ischemia-reperfusion, whereas the relationship between these two factors remains unclear. To elucidate this relationship, we performed the present study. The superior mesenteric artery was occluded for 15 min followed by reperfusion. After ischemia-reperfusion, histidine decarboxylase activity and ornithine decarboxylase activity in the rat jejunal mucosa were measured in a time-dependent manner. Histidine decarboxylase activity increased 1 hr after ischemia-reperfusion, although ornithine decarboxylase activity did not; however, its activity did increase 6 hr after. The increase of ornithine decarboxylase activity was attenuated when the increase of histamine synthesis was suppressed by the inhibition of histidine decarboxylase activity caused by pretreatment with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine, a suicide inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase. Pretreatment with H1-receptor antagonist attenuated the increase of ornithine decarboxylase activity after ischemia-reperfusion. These results indicate that the newly synthesized histamine, as indicated by an increase of histidine decarboxylase activity, increases ornithine decarboxylase activity after ischemia-reperfusion of the rat intestinal mucosa.