piperidines and tele-methylhistamine

Histamine (HA) is synthesized from L-histidine by histidine decarboxylase (HDC), and HA released from neurons is predominantly methylated to tele-methylhistamine (t-MH), which is further metabolized by MAO. Therefore, the HA turnover rate is determined by either a exponential decrease in HA level after treatment with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH), a specific HDC inhibitor, or a linear accumulation of t-MH after pargyline treatment. Brain HA and t-MH can be simultaneously assayed using HPLC with fluorometric detection. Care should be given to avoid the contamination by extraencephalic mast-cell HA after microwave irradiation or immersion in liquid nitrogen, and to a marked circadian variation of t-MH level. The HA turnover is the highest in the hypothalamus, low in the pons-medulla oblongata and cerebellum, and nil in the spinal cord in rats, mice and guinea pigs. The half-life of neuronal HA is 8-87 min in various brain regions of these animals. Barbiturates, enflurane, benzodiazepines, GABA-mimetic drugs, ethanol and delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol significantly decrease the HA turnover, whereas mu-opioid agonists such as morphine and [D-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly(ol)5] enkephalin enhance it. Foot-shock and phencyclidine also enhance it at least partly via mu-opioid receptors. Chlorpromazine, haloperidol, imipramine, methamphetamine or halothane have no influence on the HA turnover.

Topics: Anesthetics; Animals; Brain; Circadian Rhythm; Dronabinol; Ethanol; Half-Life; Histamine; Methylhistamines; Piperidines; Psychotropic Drugs

Samelisant (SUVN-G3031) is a potent and selective histamine H3 receptor (H3R) inverse agonist with good brain penetration and oral bioavailability.. Pharmacological and neurochemical characterisation to support the utility of Samelisant (SUVN-G3031) in the treatment of sleep-related disorders like narcolepsy.. Samelisant (SUVN-G3031) was tested in rat brain microdialysis studies for evaluation of modulation in histamine, dopamine and norepinephrine. Sleep EEG studies were carried out in orexin knockout mice to study the effects of Samelisant (SUVN-G3031) on the sleep-wake cycle and cataplexy.. Pre-clinical studies of Samelisant (SUVN-G3031) provide a strong support for utility in the treatment of sleep-related disorders related to EDS and is currently being evaluated in a phase 2 proof of concept study in the USA for the treatment of narcolepsy with and without cataplexy.

Topics: Animals; Electroencephalography; Histamine; Histamine Agonists; Humans; Male; Methylhistamines; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Morpholines; Narcolepsy; Orexins; Piperidines; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sleep; Wakefulness

Recently we found that synthetic compounds containing amino group linked to hydrophobic or aromatic moiety are potent modulators of the proton-gated channels (ASICs). These structures have clear similarity with ligands of histamine receptors. We have also demonstrated that histamine potentiates homomeric ASIC1a by shifting its activation dependence to less acidic conditions. In the present work the action of a series of histamine receptors ligands on recombinant ASIC1a and ASIC2a was characterized. Two types of action were found for ASIC1a. 1-methylhistamine, N-alpha-methylhistamine, dimaprit and thioperamide caused significant potentiation, which was pH-dependent and voltage-independent. The H4R antagonist A943931 caused inhibition, which is likely due to voltage-dependent pore block. ASIC2a were virtually insensitive to the drugs tested. We conclude that ligands of histamine receptors should also be considered as ASIC modulators.

Topics: Acid Sensing Ion Channels; Animals; CHO Cells; Cricetulus; Dimaprit; Gene Expression Regulation; Histamine; Histamine Agonists; Histamine Antagonists; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Ligands; Methylhistamines; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Piperidines; Receptors, Histamine; Recombinant Proteins; Signal Transduction

A UPLC-MS/MS assay was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of acetylcholine (ACh), histamine (HA), tele-methylhistamine (t-mHA), and tele-methylimidazolacetic acid (t-MIAA) in rat cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The biological stability of ACh in rat CSF was investigated. Following fit-for-purpose validation, the method was applied to monitor the drug-induced changes in ACh, HA, t-mHA, and t-MIAA in rat CSF following administration of donepezil or prucalopride. The quantitative method utilizes hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) Core-Shell HPLC column technology and a UPLC system to achieve separation with detection by positive ESI LC-MS/MS. This UPLC-MS/MS method does not require extraction or derivatization, utilizes a stable isotopically labeled internal standard (IS) for each analyte, and allows for rapid throughput with a 4 min run time. Without an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor present, ACh was found to have 1.9±0.4 min in vitro half life in rat CSF. Stability studies and processing modification, including the use of AChE inhibitor eserine, extended this half life to more than 60 min. The UPLC-MS/MS method, including stabilization procedure, was validated over a linear concentration range of 0.025-5 ng/mL for ACh and 0.05-10 ng/mL for HA, t-mHA, and t-MIAA. The intra-run precision and accuracy for all analytes were 1.9-12.3% CV and -10.2 to 9.4% RE, respectively, while inter-run precision and accuracy were 4.0-16.0% CV and -5.3 to 13.4% RE, respectively. By using this developed and validated method, donepezil caused increases in ACh levels at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4h post dose as compared to the corresponding vehicle group, while prucalopride produced approximately 1.6- and 3.1-fold increases in the concentrations of ACh and t-mHA at 1h post dose, respectively, compared to the vehicle control. Overall, this methodology enables investigations into the use of CSF ACh and HA as biomarkers in the study of these neurotransmitter systems and related drug discovery efforts.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Benzofurans; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Donepezil; Drug Stability; Histamine; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Imidazoles; Indans; Male; Methylhistamines; Piperidines; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Histamine potentiates activation of native and recombinant N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), but its mechanisms of action and physiological functions in the brain remain controversial. Using four different models, we have further investigated the histamine-induced potentiation of various NMDAR-mediated responses. In single cultured hippocampal neurons, histamine potentiated NMDA currents. It also potentiated the NMDA-induced increase in intracellular calcium in the absence, as well as with saturating concentrations, of exogenous d-serine, indicating both glycine-dependent and glycine-independent components of its effect. In rat hippocampal synaptosomes, histamine strongly potentiated NMDA-induced [(3)H]noradrenaline release. The profile of this response contained several signatures of the histamine-mediated effect at neuronal or recombinant NMDARs. It was NR2B-selective, being sensitive to micromolar concentrations of ifenprodil. It was reproduced by tele-methylhistamine, the metabolite of histamine in brain, and it was antagonized by impromidine, an antagonist/inverse agonist of histamine on NMDA currents. Up to now, histamine was generally considered to interact with the polyamine site of the NMDAR. However, spermine did not enhance NMDA-induced [(3)H]noradrenaline release from synaptosomes, and the potentiation of the same response by tele-methylhistamine was not antagonized by the polyamine antagonist arcaine. In hippocampal membranes, like spermine, tele-methylhistamine enhanced [(3)H]dl-(E)-2-amino-4-propyl-5-phosphono-3-pentenoic acid (CGP39653) binding to the glutamate site. In contrast, spermine increased nonequilibrium [(3)H]5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine (dizocilpine maleate; MK-801) binding, and suppressed [(3)H]ifenprodil binding, whereas histamine and tele-methylhistamine had no effect. In conclusion, the histamine-induced potentiation of NMDARs occurs in the brain under normal conditions. Histamine does not bind to the polyamine site, but to a distinct entity, the so-called histamine site of the NMDAR.

Topics: 2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; Allosteric Site; Animals; Binding Sites; Calcium; Dizocilpine Maleate; Drug Synergism; Hippocampus; Histamine; In Vitro Techniques; Intracellular Space; Male; Methylhistamines; N-Methylaspartate; Neurons; Norepinephrine; Piperidines; Polyamines; Radioligand Assay; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; Spermine; Synaptosomes

Histamine suppresses feeding behavior via histamine H1 receptors in the hypothalamus. This study was performed to examine whether the acute reduction of histamine release in the hypothalamus caused by immepip, a histamine H3 agonist, modulates the feeding behavior of rats. Rats had a catheter implanted in the third cerebral ventricle (i3v) and were given central injections of phosphate-buffered-saline or immepip (100-300 pmol/rat). Following the i3v administration of immepip, the rats developed dose-dependent hypokinesia within 10 min of administration. Next to hypokinesia, the rats showed significant dose-dependent feeding behavior. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirmed the reduction in histamine release in the hypothalamus of rats following i3v administration of immepip. These results suggest that i3v administration of immepip, an H3 receptor agonist, suppresses hypothalamic histamine release and elicits feeding behavior in rats.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Catheterization; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Feeding Behavior; Histamine Agonists; Histamine Release; Hypokinesia; Hypothalamus; Imidazoles; Injections, Intraventricular; Linear Models; Male; Methylhistamines; Piperidines; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, Histamine H3

Histamine H3 receptor inverse agonists are known to enhance the activity of histaminergic neurons in brain and thereby promote vigilance and cognition. 1-{3-[3-(4-Chlorophenyl)propoxy]propyl}piperidine, hydrochloride (BF2.649) is a novel, potent, and selective nonimidazole inverse agonist at the recombinant human H3 receptor. On the stimulation of guanosine 5'-O-(3-[35S]thio)triphosphate binding to this receptor, BF2.649 behaved as a competitive antagonist with a Ki value of 0.16 nM and as an inverse agonist with an EC50 value of 1.5 nM and an intrinsic activity approximately 50% higher than that of ciproxifan. Its in vitro potency was approximately 6 times lower at the rodent receptor. In mice, the oral bioavailability coefficient, i.e., the ratio of plasma areas under the curve after oral and i.v. administrations, respectively, was 84%. BF2.649 dose dependently enhanced tele-methylhistamine levels in mouse brain, an index of histaminergic neuron activity, with an ED50 value of 1.6 mg/kg p.o., a response that persisted after repeated administrations for 17 days. In rats, the drug enhanced dopamine and acetylcholine levels in microdialysates of the prefrontal cortex. In cats, it markedly enhanced wakefulness at the expense of sleep states and also enhanced fast cortical rhythms of the electroencephalogram, known to be associated with improved vigilance. On the two-trial object recognition test in mice, a promnesiant effect was shown regarding either scopolamine-induced or natural forgetting. These preclinical data suggest that BF2.649 is a valuable drug candidate to be developed in wakefulness or memory deficits and other cognitive disorders.

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Cats; Dopamine; Electroencephalography; Guinea Pigs; Histamine Agonists; Histamine Antagonists; Histamine Release; Humans; Imidazoles; Male; Methylhistamines; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Piperidines; Prefrontal Cortex; Receptors, Histamine H3; Scopolamine

The effects of an H3 agonist, R-alpha-methylhistamine (alpha-MeHA), and an H3 antagonist, thioperamide, on monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in the hypothalamus of rat, monkey and human brains were compared in vitro. The histamine H(3)-receptor ligands competitively inhibited MAO-B, but noncompetitively inhibited MAO-A in all three mammalian species. However, alpha-MeHA inhibited MAO-A more potently than MAO-B at high concentrations in all three species. The K(i) values for MAO-A of alpha-MeHA in hypothalamic homogenates of rat, monkey and human brains were estimated to be 1.1, 1.2 and 1.9 mM, respectively, suggesting that alpha-MeHA cannot behave as a substrate for the MAO inhibitor. In contrast, rat, monkey and human brain MAO-B activities were inhibited by thioperamide, with respective K(i) values of 174.6, 8.2 and 10.8 microM, more potently than MAO-A activity. These results indicate that thioperamide, which elicits a strong activation of histamine release and turnover to N-tele-methylhistamine from histamine, competitively inhibits the conversion of N-tele-methylhistamine to N-tele-methylimidazoleacetic acid in human and monkey brains where MAO-B predominates.

Topics: Aged; Animals; Binding, Competitive; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Histamine; Histamine Agonists; Histamine Antagonists; Humans; Hypothalamus; Imidazoles; Ligands; Macaca; Methylhistamines; Middle Aged; Monoamine Oxidase; Neurons; Piperidines; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Histamine H3; Subcellular Fractions; Synaptic Transmission

Thioperamide, the prototypical histamine H(3) receptor antagonist, acts at the brain histamine H(3) autoreceptor to promote the release and metabolism of neuronal histamine, resulting in higher brain levels of the metabolite tele-methylhistamine. However, unlike thioperamide, several new histamine H(3) receptor antagonists enter the central nervous system (CNS), block brain histamine H(3) receptors and increase histamine release without increasing brain tele-methylhistamine levels. Experiments were performed presently in an attempt to understand these results. Consistent with previous findings, thioperamide significantly increased the content and synthesis rate of tele-methylhistamine in mouse and rat brain. In contrast, the histamine H(3) receptor antagonists GT-2227 (4-(6-cyclohexylhex-cis-3-enyl)imidazole) and clobenpropit did not affect tele-methylhistamine synthesis rate in mouse whole brain. The histamine H(3) receptor ligand GT-2016 (5-cyclohexyl-1-(4-imidazol-4-ylpiperidyl)pentan-1-one) had no effect on tele-methylhistamine levels in any rat brain region and decreased tele-methylhistamine synthesis rates in the mouse whole brain. To examine the possibility that these histamine H(3) receptor antagonists might prevent the methylation of newly released histamine, they were co-administered with thioperamide to determine their effects on the thioperamide-induced stimulation of tele-methylhistamine synthesis. GT-2016 significantly reduced the thioperamide-induced activation of tele-methylhistamine synthesis in mouse whole brain and in several regions of rat brain. Although further clarification is needed, these results suggest that some histamine H(3) receptor antagonists may promote the release of neuronal histamine, but also act to reduce histamine methylation in vivo by an unknown mechanism.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Binding Sites; Brain; Histamine; Histamine Antagonists; Imidazoles; Male; Methylhistamines; Mice; Pargyline; Piperidines; Rats; Receptors, Histamine H3; Thiourea

Following tacrine administration i.p. to mice, the histamine N-methyltransferase activity of brain homogenates was more potently inhibited than the acetylcholinesterase activity (ID50 of 5.3 mg/kg vs. 13.6 mg/kg). The formation of the metabolite, tele-methylhistamine, in brain of mice treated with an histamine H3 receptor antagonist was abolished by tacrine with an ID50 as low as 1.2 +/- 0.4 mg/kg. The participation of histamine in the actions of tacrine and the relevance of histamine H3 receptor antagonists in Alzheimer's disease are suggested.

Topics: Animals; Cerebral Cortex; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Histamine Antagonists; Histamine N-Methyltransferase; Male; Methylhistamines; Mice; Nootropic Agents; Piperidines; Tacrine

To study the feedback control by histamine (HA) H3-receptors on the synthesis and release of HA at nerve endings in the brain, the effects of a potent and selective H3-agonist, (R)-alpha-methylhistamine, and an H3-antagonist, thioperamide, on the pargyline-induced accumulation of tele-methylhistamine (t-MH) in the brain of mice and rats were examined in vivo. (R)-alpha-Methylhistamine dihydrochloride (6.3 mg free base/kg, i.p.) and thioperamide (2 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively, significantly decreased and increased the steady-state t-MH level in the mouse brain, whereas these compounds produced no significant changes in the HA level. When administered to mice immediately after pargyline (65 mg/kg, i.p.), (R)-alpha-methylhistamine (3.2 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited the pargyline-induced increase in the t-MH level almost completely during the first 2 h after treatment. Thioperamide (2 mg/kg, i.p.) enhanced the pargyline-induced t-MH accumulation by approximately 70% 1 and 2 h after treatment. Lower doses of (R)-alpha-methylhistamine (1.3 mg/kg) and thioperamide (1 mg/kg) induced significant changes in the pargyline-induced t-MH accumulation in the mouse brain. In the rat, (R)-alpha-methylhistamine (3.2 mg/kg, i.p.) and thioperamide (2 mg/kg, i.p.) also affected the pargyline-induced t-MH accumulation in eight brain regions and the effects were especially marked in the cerebral cortex and amygdala. These results indicate that these compounds have potent effects on HA turnover in vivo in the brain.

Topics: Amygdala; Animals; Brain; Cerebral Cortex; Histamine; Histamine Antagonists; Kinetics; Male; Methylhistamines; Mice; Pargyline; Piperidines; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Receptors, Histamine; Receptors, Histamine H3; Tissue Distribution

Serum albumin conjugates of histamine or tele-methylhistamine, a major catabolite, were prepared using 1,4-benzoquinone as the coupling agent and used to raise polyclonal antibodies in rabbits. The same reagent was used to prepare the [125I]iodinated tracer and treat tissue extracts submitted to the radioimmunoassays. The IC50 values of prederivatized histamine and tele-methylhistamine in the radioimmunoassays were 0.3 nM and 0.5 nM, respectively, whereas nonderivatized histamine or tele-methylhistamine, histidine, a variety of histamine derivatives, amines, etc., had at least 1,000-fold higher IC50 values. Application of the radioimmunoassays to nonpurified extracts of rat brain allowed the quantification of the two amine immunoreactivities in samples corresponding to less than 1 mg of hypothalamus. The tissue immunoreactivity corresponded to authentic histamine or tele-methylhistamine, as shown by (a) the parallel 125I-tracer displacement curves, (b) the similar elution patterns from HPLC columns, (c) the regional levels of histamine and tele-methylhistamine in brain, similar to those obtained with other methods, and (d) the clearcut effects of treatments with inhibitors of L-histidine decarboxylase or monoamine oxidase. The two radioimmunoassays appear as simple and sensitive tools to evaluate steady-state levels and turnover rates of histamine and tele-methylhistamine.

Topics: Animals; Brain Chemistry; Cerebral Cortex; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cross Reactions; Histamine; Histidine Decarboxylase; Male; Methylhistamines; Methylhistidines; Organ Specificity; Pargyline; Piperidines; Radioimmunoassay; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Reference Values; Tritium