title: The therapeutic potential of histamine receptor ligands in inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: In the intestine of patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease concentrations of histamine are increased compared to healthy controls. Genetic ablation of histamine production in mice ameliorates the course of experimentally induced colitis. These observations and first pharmacological studies indicate a function of histamine in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. However, a closer examination reveals that available data are highly heterogeneous, limiting the rational design of strategies addressing specific histamine receptor subtypes as possible target for pharmacological interaction. However, very recently first clinical data indicate that antagonism at the histamine receptor subtype H4 provides a beneficial effect in at least the skin. Here, we discuss the available data on histamine effects and histamine receptor subtype functions in inflammatory bowel disease with a special emphasis on the histamine H4-receptor.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Germany. Electronic address: neumann.detlef@mh-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seifert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006632:Histamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000378:metabolism; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008024:Ligands; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*; D011968:Receptors, Histamine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000074040:Receptors, Histamine H4
chemical_list: C418607:HRH4 protein, human; D008024:Ligands; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D011968:Receptors, Histamine; D000074040:Receptors, Histamine H4; D006632:Histamine
keywords: Animal model; Histamine; Inflammatory bowel disease; Mouse