Histamine H1 receptors and inositol phosphate formation in rat thalamus

In membranes of rat thalamus the density of histamine H1 receptors, as estimated from saturation curves with [3H]mepyramine, was 66 +/- 5 fmol.mg protein-1 (Kd 1.3 +/- 0.1 nM). Specific [3H]mepyramine binding was inhibited by mepyramine (best fit to one-site model, Kd 2.2 +/- 0.2 nM) and by histamine (best fit to a two-site model, Ki high 0.35 +/- 0.04 microM and 54 +/- 7% of binding sites; Ki low 7.0 +/- 1.1 microM). In the presence of 300 microM GppNHp (5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate) the inhibition curve for histamine best-fit to a one-site model (Ki 3.1 +/- 0.3 microM). In cross-chopped slices and in the presence of 10 mM LiCl, histamine stimulated the accumulation of total [3H]inositol phosphates ([3H]IPs) with a maximum effect of 163 +/- 3% of basal accumulation, EC50 of 8 +/- 2 microM and Hill coefficient (nH) of 0.8 +/- 0.1. [3H]IPs accumulation induced by 100 microM histamine was inhibited by the selective H1 antagonist mepyramine (1 microM, 90 +/- 8% inhibition; Ki 2.1 +/- 0.4 nM) but not by 10 microM ranitidine (a selective H2 antagonist) or 1 microM thioperamide (a selective H3 antagonist). These results show the presence in rat thalamus of functional H1 receptors coupled in inositol phosphate accumulation.