H1- and H2-histamine receptor-mediated vasodilation varies with aging in humans

Aging is associated with alterations in the responses to several important vasoactive drugs. We have investigated histamine-mediated venodilation across the adult age range using the human hand vein compliance technique. Histamine produces dilation in human veins by activating both H1- and H2-receptors.

Full dose-response curves to histamine were constructed in 16 healthy volunteers (mean age, 47 +/- 20 years; age range, 21 to 80 years) by infusing histamine (2 to 136 ng/min) into dorsal hand veins preconstricted with the alpha-adrenergic selective agonist phenylephrine.

Histamine was an efficacious venodilator across the age range; the average maximal response (Emax) was 122 +/- 45% and the geometric mean ED50 (the dose producing half-maximal response) was 16.6 ng/min for all subjects. Dose-response curves to histamine were repeated after infusion of the H2-selective antagonist cimetidine at a dose sufficient to completely block the H2-mediated response (49 micrograms/min). Cimetidine did not inhibit the Emax in the elderly as much as it did in the young subjects. The Emax to histamine in the presence of cimetidine plotted against age showed a significant relationship (r = 0.62, p = 0.02).

These results suggest that, although the overall histamine-induced venodilation is conserved in aging, there is a loss of the signal transduction pathway activated by way of H2-receptors but no loss in function of H1-receptors. Consequently, these results suggest differential changes in function of H1- versus H2-histamine receptors with aging. Because H1-receptors are coupled to endothelial-derived relaxing factor release and because H2-receptors activate cyclic adenosine monophosphate in smooth muscle, the results are compatible with hypothesis that there are specific changes in these signal transduction pathways with aging.