Skip to main content
British Journal of Pharmacology and Chemotherapy logoLink to British Journal of Pharmacology and Chemotherapy
. 1963 Apr;20(2):264–277. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1963.tb01466.x

The subcellular distribution of histamine, slow-reacting substance and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the brain of the rat

E A Carlini, J P Green
PMCID: PMC1703635  PMID: 14018677

Abstract

Various extracts of brain were prepared with dilute and concentrated acid, acetone and n-butanol. When the extracts were applied to the guinea-pig isolated ileum, they produced a slow contraction which was not prevented by an antihistamine; in addition, the acid and acetone extracts inhibited the action of histamine. Histamine in extracts of brain was separated from other pharmacologically active substances by chromatography on a carboxylic-acid resin and estimated biologically. The bulk of this histamine was found in small particulate material, whereas slow-reacting substance was found in particulate material of greater density. 5-Hydroxytryptamine was in both the small and large particles. There was no relationship between the distribution of these substances and that of succinic dehydrogenase activity. The measurement of histamine in brain both by biological assay on the guinea-pig ileum and by chemical assay using a fluorimetric procedure gave mean values of 53 and 246 ng/g of wet tissue, respectively. The high values obtained by the chemical assay are attributable in part to substances other than histamine which become fluorescent after reaction with o-phthalaldehyde in this procedure.

Full text

PDF
277

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. AMIN A. H., CRAWFORD T. B., GADDUM J. H. The distribution of substance P and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the central nervous system of the dog. J Physiol. 1954 Dec 10;126(3):596–618. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1954.sp005229. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ANDERSON E. G., MARKOWITZ S. D., BONNYCASTLE D. D. Brain 5-hydroxytryptamine and anticonvulsant activity. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1962 May;136:179–182. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. ANDREWS P. F., PRICE S. A., WEST G. B. An unidentified pharmacologically active substance extracted from cerebral hemispheres. Nature. 1960 Jul 30;187:420–421. doi: 10.1038/187420a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CLOUET D. H., GAITONDE M. K., RICHTER D. The free histidine, histamine, and arginine content of the rat brain. J Neurochem. 1957;1(3):228–233. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1957.tb12076.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CROSSLAND J. Biologic estimation of histamine. Methods Med Res. 1961;9:186–191. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DE ROBERTIS E., RODRIGUEZ DE LORES ARNAIZ G., PELLEGRINO DE IRALDI A. Isolation of synaptic vesicles from nerve endings of the rat brain. Nature. 1962 May 26;194:794–795. doi: 10.1038/194794a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GRAY E. G., WHITTAKER V. P. The isolation of nerve endings from brain: an electron-microscopic study of cell fragments derived by homogenization and centrifugation. J Anat. 1962 Jan;96:79–88. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. GREEN J. P., DAY M. Heparin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and histamine in neoplastic mast cells. Biochem Pharmacol. 1960 Jun;3:190–205. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(60)90107-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. GREEN J. P., FURANO A. V. Two pools for amines in neoplastic mast cells. Biochem Pharmacol. 1962 Nov;11:1049–1053. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(62)90164-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. GREEN J. P., PAASONEN M. K., GIARMAN N. J. Blood 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) levels after reserpine and electroshock therapy. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1957 Mar;94(3):428–430. doi: 10.3181/00379727-94-22966. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. GREEN J. P., ROBINSON J. D., Jr, DAY M. Interaction between cerebroside sulfate and amines. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1961 Jan;131:12–17. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. HAGEN P., BARRNETT R. J., LEE F. L. Biochemical and electron microscopic study of particles isolated from mastocytoma cells. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1959 Jun;126(2):91–108. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. HESS S. M., DOEPFNER W. Behavioral effects and brain amine content in rats. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1961 Nov 1;134:89–99. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. HIRS C. H. W., MOORE S., STEIN W. H. A chromatographic investigation of pancreatic ribonuclease. J Biol Chem. 1953 Feb;200(2):493–506. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. KIVALO E., RINNE U. K., KARINKANTA H. The effect of imipramine on the 5-hydroxytryptamine content and monoamine oxidase activity of the rat brain and on the excretion of 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid. J Neurochem. 1961 Nov;8:105–108. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1961.tb13531.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kwiatkowski H. Histamine in nervous tissue. J Physiol. 1943 Jun 30;102(1):32–41. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1943.sp004011. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. LOUTTIT R. T. Effect of phenylalanine and isocarboxazid feeding on brain serotonin and learning behavior in the rat. J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1962 Aug;55:425–428. doi: 10.1037/h0043415. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. MAAS J. W., STRENGERS T. On free and bound histamine. Acta Allergol. 1956;10(3):130–135. doi: 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1956.tb02989.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. MICHAELSON I. A., WHITTAKER V. P. The distribution of hydroxytryptamine in brain fractions. Biochem Pharmacol. 1962 Jun;11:505–506. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(62)90237-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. PAASONEN M. K., GIARMAN N. J. Brain levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine after various agents. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1958 Mar 1;114(2):189–200. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. PRUSOFF W. H. The distribution of 5-hydroxytryptamine and adenosinetriphosphate in cytoplasmic particles of the dog's small intestine. Br J Pharmacol Chemother. 1960 Dec;15:520–524. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1960.tb00274.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. ROBINSON J. D., Jr, GREEN J. P. Sulfomucopolysaccharides in brain. Yale J Biol Med. 1962 Dec;35:248–257. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. SCHANBERG S. M., GIARMAN N. J. Drug-induced alterations in the sub-cellular distribution of 5-hydroxytryptamine in rats brain. Biochem Pharmacol. 1962 Mar;11:187–194. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(62)90073-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SHORE P. A., BURKHALTER A., COHN V. H., Jr A method for the fluorometric assay of histamine in tissues. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1959 Nov;127:182–186. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. SLATER E. C., BORNER W. D., Jr The effect of fluoride on the succinic oxidase system. Biochem J. 1952 Oct;52(2):185–196. doi: 10.1042/bj0520185. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. WALASZEK E., ABOOD L. G. Fixation of 5-hydroxytryptamine by brain mitochondria. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1959 May;101(1):37–40. doi: 10.3181/00379727-101-24824. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. WERDINIUS B. Effect of temperature on the action of reserpine. Acta Pharmacol Toxicol (Copenh) 1962;19:43–46. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0773.1962.tb00337.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. WHITTAKER V. P. The isolation and characterization of acetylcholine-containing particles from brain. Biochem J. 1959 Aug;72:694–706. doi: 10.1042/bj0720694. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Pharmacology and Chemotherapy are provided here courtesy of The British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES