Articles: histamine.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2018
An Outbreak of Scombroid Fish Poisoning Associated with Consumption of Yellowtail Fish in Seoul, Korea.
In November 2016, an outbreak of scombroid fish poisoning occurred among elementary school students in Seoul, Korea. An epidemiological investigation was conducted to identify the cause and source of the illness. ⋯ An outbreak of scombroid fish poisoning was confirmed; this is the first such report in Korea. Detailed food safety guidelines must be established.
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J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract · Sep 2018
Comparative StudyComparison of Basophil Activation Test and Skin Testing Performances in NMBA Allergy.
Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) are the main agents involved during perioperative immediate hypersensitivity. The etiological diagnosis (IgE-mediated allergy vs nonallergy) is linked to the clinical presentation together with tryptase and histamine levels and skin test results. The role of basophil activation test (BAT) needs to be better defined in this setting. ⋯ In our technical conditions, BAT does not replace skin testing in the assessment of NMBA allergy.
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Lipophilic neurotransmitters (NTs) such as dopamine are chemical messengers enabling neurotransmission by adhering onto the extracellular surface of the post-synaptic membrane in a synapse, followed by binding to their receptors. Previous studies have shown that the strength of the NT-membrane association is dependent on the lipid composition of the membrane. Negatively charged lipids such as phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidic acid have been indicated to promote NT-membrane binding, however these anionic lipids reside almost exclusively in the intracellular leaflet of the post-synaptic membrane instead of the extracellular leaflet facing the synaptic cleft. ⋯ The in silico results suggest that gangliosides form a charge-based vestibule in front of the post-synaptic membrane, attracting amphipathic NTs to the vicinity of the membrane. The results also stress the importance to understand the significance of the structural details of NTs, as exemplified by the GM1-acetylcholine interaction. In a larger context, the NT-membrane adherence, coupled to lateral diffusion in the membrane plane, is proposed to improve neurotransmission efficiency by advancing NT entry into the membrane-embedded ligand-binding sites.
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Histamine H3 receptors are widely distributed Gi-coupled receptors whose activation reduces neuronal activity and inhibits release of numerous neurotransmitters. Although these receptors are abundantly expressed in the striatum, their modulatory role on activity-dependent dopamine release is not well understood. Here, we observed that histamine H3 receptor activation indirectly diminishes dopamine overflow in the ventral striatum by reducing cholinergic interneuron activity. ⋯ Resting membrane potential and number of spontaneous action potentials in ventral-striatal cholinergic interneurons were significantly reduced by α-methylhistamine. Acetylcholine release from isolated striatal synaptosomes, however, was not altered by α-methylhistamine. Together, these results indicate that histamine H3 receptors are important modulators of dopamine release, specifically in the ventral striatum, and that they do so by decreasing the firing rate of cholinergic neurons and, consequently, reducing cholinergic tone on dopaminergic axons.
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Itch is an unpleasant sensation that initiates scratching behavior. The itch-scratch reaction is a complex phenomenon that implicates supraspinal structures required for regulation of sensory, emotional, cognitive, and motivational aspects. However, the central mechanisms underlying the processing of itch and the interplay of the supraspinal regions and spinal cord in regulating itch-scratch processes are poorly understood. ⋯ Manipulation of ACC-DMS projections has no effect on acute pain sensation. Furthermore, the dorsal spinal cord exerts an inhibitory effect on itch signal from ACC-DMS projections through B5-I neurons. Understanding the supraspinal itch circuits is of great significance in the development of new therapies for chronic itch-related intractable diseases.