Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2025

Mouse Models Of Helicobacter Infection And Gastric Pathologies
Published on: October 18, 2018
Histamine-producing bacteria and their role in gastrointestinal disorders
Marcello Fiorani1,2,3, Livio Enrico Del Vecchio1,2,3, Pasquale Dargenio1
1Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Introduction:
Gut microbiota produces thousands of metabolites, which have a huge impact on the host health. Specific microbial strains are able to synthesize histamine, a molecule with a crucial role in many physiologic and pathologic mechanisms of the host. This function is mediated by the histidine decarboxylase enzyme (HDC) that converts the amino acid histidine to histamine.
Areas Covered:
This review summarizes the emerging data on histamine production by gut microbiota, and the effect of bacterial-derived histamine in different clinical contexts, including cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, and other gastrointestinal and extraintestinal pathologies. This review will also outline the impact of histamine on the immune system and the effect of probiotics that can secrete histamine. Search methodology: we searched the literature on PubMed up to February 2023.
Expert Opinion:
The potential of modulating gut microbiota to influence histamine production is a promising area of research, and although our knowledge of histamine-secreting bacteria is still limited, recent advances are exploring their diagnostic and therapeutical potential. Diet, probiotics, and pharmacological treatments directed to the modulation of histamine-secreting bacteria may in the future potentially be employed in the prevention and management of several gastrointestinal and extraintestinal disorders.
More Related Videos
03:48Author Spotlight: Exploring the Mysteries of Sichuan's Herbal Medicine in Chinese Medicine Research
Published on: March 1, 2024
09:05High Resolution Electron Microscopy of the Helicobacter pylori Cag Type IV Secretion System Pili Produced in Varying Conditions of Iron Availability
Published on: November 21, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Pathophysiology of Peptic Ulcer Disease: Injurious Factors
In the antrum region, G cells secrete the gastrin hormone that binds to gastrin-cholecystokinin-B (CCK2) receptors on parietal and enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells in the fundic glands. Simultaneously, the vagus nerve releases acetylcholine, which binds...
Gastritis-II: Pathophysiology
In acute gastritis, the gastric mucosa becomes swollen and red and undergoes superficial erosion. Superficial ulceration may lead to bleeding.
In chronic gastritis, persistent or repeated insults lead to chronic inflammatory changes and, eventually, thinning or atrophy of the gastric tissue.
Gastritis can stem from various causes, each...
Hormones Secreted by the Stomach
Each of these hormones secreted by different enteroendocrine cells plays a unique role in digestion. Here are a few examples:
Acid Suppressive Drugs for Peptic Ulcer Disease: Histamine H2-Receptor Antagonists
Bacterial Flora of the Large Intestine
The normal gut flora of the colon plays a critical role in generating essential vitamins such as vitamins K, B5, and B7.
Regulation of the Digestive System
The effectors in this regulation system are glands and smooth muscles. Activation of...