The Disposition of (R)-α-Methylhistamine, a Histamine H3-Receptor Agonist, in Rats

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Abstract
Using a modified HPLC method with a fluorescence spectrophotometer and a weak cation exchanger, it was possible to separate (R)-α-methylhistamine (α-methylhistamine) from histamine in plasma and various tissues. The assay was used to study the disposition and pharmacokinetic analysis of α-methylhistamine after a bolus intravenous administration to rats. After rapid intravenous administration (12·6 mg kg−1), the plasma concentration declined biexponentially with a half-life of 1·3 min in the elimination phase. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve and total body clearance were 130 μg min mL−1 and 97 mL min−1 kg−1, respectively. After administration, α-methylhistamine was immediately transferred to various tissues. The concentration was high in the kidney, lung, and liver (kidney > lung > liver), but low in the brain. The tissue-to-plasma concentration ratios in peripheral tissues were greater than 1, suggesting that the transfer of α-methylhistamine to peripheral tissues was due to a specialized transport mechanism or possibly to tissue binding. However, the finding that the tissue/plasma ratio in the brain was lower than unity suggests that the transport system in this tissue depends on a concentration gradient, and that α-methylhistamine crosses the blood-brain barrier in rats with difficulty.