title: Histamine (H1) receptor antagonist inhibits leukocyte rolling in pial vessels in the early phase of bacterial meningitis in rats.
abstract: The present study tested the hypothesis whether a histamine dependent pathway is involved in leukocyte-endothel interaction in the early phase of bacterial meningitis. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy we investigated leukocyte rolling in brain venules in vivo during 4 h in experimental pneumococcal meningitis in the rat. Leukocyte rolling, but not firm adhesion induced by intracisternally (i.c.) injected pneumococcal cell wall components, was temporarily inhibited (2 h, 5.6 +/- 1.9 vs. 2.3 +/- 0.9; 3 h, 7.4 +/- 2.7 vs. 3.1 +/- 1.3/100 microm/min) by diphenhydramine, a histamine H1 receptor antagonist. Histamine, possibly released by activated mast cells, is known to initiate P-selectin upregulation and subsequent leukocyte rolling. This data suggest that histamine is a mediator of leukocyte rolling in the early phase of bacterial meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Charité, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany. jweber@neuro.charite.hu-berlin.de
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Angstwurm
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rosenkranz
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lindauer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bürger
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Einhäupl
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dirnagl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004155:Diphenhydramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006632:Histamine; D004155:Diphenhydramine