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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Spatial and Temporal Control of Murine Melanoma Initiation from Mutant Melanocyte Stem Cells
Published on: June 7, 2019
Up-regulation of histidine decarboxylase expression and histamine content in B16F10 murine melanoma cells
Steven C Davis1, Sheena Clark, J Robert Hayes
1Department of Pharmacology, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25704-9388, USA. davis266@marshall.edu
Objective And Design:
This study was conducted to determine if differences in histidine decarboxylase expression and histamine levels exist between B16F10 melanoma cells and non-cancerous Melan-A melanocytes.
Methods:
Immunofluorescence and western blot analysis were used to detect and compare histidine decarboxylase protein levels. Enzyme-linked immunoassay was used to detect, measure, and compare histamine levels.
Results:
Histidine decarboxylase expression was found to be elevated in the B16F10 cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated levels of histidine decarboxylase protein expression more than twofold higher (p < 0.001) in B16F10 than in Melan-A cells. Histamine levels were 280-fold higher (p < 0.001) in B16F10 (229 ± 15 pg/mg protein) than in Melan-A (0.83 ± 0.03 pg/mg protein) cells.
Conclusion:
Results indicate an up-regulated histaminergic system in the B16F10 melanoma cells when compared to non-cancerous melanocytes. This supports the use of B16F10 cells as a model in which to investigate a potential role of the endogenous histaminergic system in regulating malignant cell function.
