title: Itching for answers: how histamine relaxes lymphatic vessels.
abstract: In the current issue of Microcirculation, studies by Kurtz et al. and Nizamutdinova et al. together provide new evidence supporting a role for histamine as an endothelial-derived molecule that inhibits lymphatic muscle contraction. In particular, Nizamutdinova et al. show that the effects of flow-induced shear stress on lymphatic endothelium are mediated by both nitric oxide and histamine, since only blockade of both prevents contraction strength and frequency from being altered by flow. Separately, Kurtz et al. used confocal microscopy to determine a preferential expression of histamine receptors on the lymphatic endothelium and demonstrated that histamine applied to spontaneously contracting collecting lymphatics inhibits contractions. Previous studies disagreed on whether histamine stimulates or inhibits lymphatic contractions, but also used differing concentrations, species, and preparations. Together these new reports shed light on how histamine acts within the lymphatic vasculature, but also raise important questions about the cell type on which histamine exerts its effects and the signaling pathways involved. This editorial briefly discusses the contribution of each study and its relevance to lymphatic biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Pharmacology & Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.
authors.forename: Joshua P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Scallan
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004729:Endothelium, Lymphatic / Q000502:physiology*; D006632:Histamine / Q000502:physiology*; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D011969:Receptors, Histamine H1 / Q000502:physiology*; D011970:Receptors, Histamine H2 / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011969:Receptors, Histamine H1; D011970:Receptors, Histamine H2; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D006632:Histamine
keywords: histamine; lymphatic smooth muscle; nitric oxide; shear stress; spontaneous contractions