EFFECTS OF HISTAMINE BOLUS INJECTIONS AND CONTINUOUS INFUSIONS ON THE H1- AND H2-RECEPTORS IN THE HINDLIMB VESSELS OF THE RABBIT

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Abstract
1. Hindlimb vascular resistance (HVR) was continuously measured after pharmacological block of the autonomic effectors in unanesthetized rabbits with previously implanted Doppler ultrasonic flowmeters. 2. Histamine bolus injections caused a dose-related short lived fall in HVR followed by a more sustained rise. The fall was due to H2-receptor stimulation (blocked by burimamide or metiamide) and the rise to H1-receptor stimulation (blocked by mepyramine). At the doses of histamine tested the magnitude of the H1-mediated vasoconstriction had a larger peak effect than the H2-mediated vasodilatation. 3. Histamine infusions up to 200 microgram kg-1 min-1 did not alter HVR significantly but both increases and decreases in HVR were observed after giving H2- or H1-antagonists, respectively. 4. From the double reciprocal plots of 1/peak HVR change and 1/dose of histamine the magnitude of the predicted H1- and H2-mediated peak HVR effects at large doses were the same. This suggested that the number of H1- and H2-receptors were similar in the hindlimb vascular bed, in agreement with the infusion data.