Mouse P19 embryonal carcinoma cells express functional histamine H1-receptors

In the present study, we have investigated the response in P19 embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells to histamine. We show that these cells, that resemble the pluripotent cells of an early mouse embryo, respond to histamine addition by a transient increase in intracellular Ca2+. The response is stereoselectively inhibited by the enantiomers of the H1-receptor antagonists chlorpheniramine and cicletanine. [3H]-mepyramine was found to bind with high affinity (Kd 4 nM) to a membrane preparation of P19 EC cells. The profile of these binding sites corresponded well with the results of the Ca2+ measurements. A high affinity [3H]-mepyramine binding site was also identified on intact cells. These data demonstrate that embryonal carcinoma cells express functional histamine H1-receptors and suggest that histamine might act as a regulatory factor in the early development of the mouse embryo.