Does the histaminergic system play a role in spinal nociception?

The author studied whether the histaminergic system is involved in spinal nociception or not. A nociception-related, slow ventral root potential of rats, which is an integrated output of motoneurons, was recorded as an index of the intensity of nociception when an electric stimulation was applied to the dorsal root. Histamine dissolved in an artificial cerebrospinal fluid caused small reduction in the potential; however, mepyramine (10 nM to 10 microM, as an H1 receptor antagonist), ranitidine (1 nM to 1 microM, as an H2 receptor antagonist), R(-)-alpha-methylhistamine (2 pM to 200 nM, as an H3 receptor agonist), and thioperamide (1 nM to 10 microM, as an H3 receptor antagonist) dose-dependently reduced the potential down to around a half of each control level. These results indicate that the histaminergic system may affect the spinal withdrawal reflex.