Hepatic acute-phase reaction in histamine-deficient gene targeted mice

• Published in: Inflammopharmacology Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 47 - 55
• Main Authors: Donászi-Ivanov, A, Scharek, P, Falus, A, Fülöp, A K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 2004
• Subjects: Acute-Phase Proteins - analysis; alpha-Macroglobulins - analysis; Animals; Complement C3 - analysis; Histamine - physiology; Histidine Decarboxylase - deficiency; Histidine Decarboxylase - genetics; Interleukin-1 - blood; Interleukin-6 - blood; Male; Mice; Serum Amyloid P-Component - analysis
• ISSN: 0925-4692; 1568-5608
• DOI: 10.1163/156856004773121365

Histamine is a versatile mediator that, according to in vitro studies, affects the synthesis of inflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins. The histidine-decarboxylase knockout (HDC-/-) mouse is a model of in vivo investigation of the physiologic and metabolic integration of the acutephase response. These mice do not synthesise histamine and feeding them with histamine-poor diet they are almost completely histamine-deficient. We compared the serum concentrations of representatives of acute-phase plasma proteins, as well as the levels IL-6 and IL-1alpha in wild type and HDC-/- mice during local (turpentine-induced) or systemic (LPS-induced) inflammation. The level of some acute-phase proteins significantly differed in wild-type and HDC-/- mice while others remained unaffected. The IL-6 levels are also differ in the wild-type and histamine-deficient animals, suggesting that the effect of histamine is attained through IL-6, although direct effect is not disclosed yet.