Strain differences in regional brain histamine levels between genetically epilepsy-prone and resistant rats

In order to further elucidate the possible role of histamine in the seizure model, we determined the histamine levels in different brain regions of genetically epilepsy-prone Krushinski-Molodkina (KM) rats. Histamine levels in the striatum, hippocampus, amygdala, midbrain, thalamus and hypothalamus of KM rats were significantly lower than in the epilepsy-resistant Wistar rats. Previously, we have reported that the audiogenic seizures of KM rats were reduced by metoprine, which can markedly increase brain histamine. These findings are in agreement with the hypothesis that central histamine neuron system may be involved in the inhibitory mechanism of seizures.