Excretion of Histamine in Human Urine

Abstract

1. A simplification of the method of Anrep et al. for the estimation of histamine in human urine is described. 2. It is not possible by this method to obtain a reliable estimation of the amount of free histamine normally present in human urine, but the effects of the administration of histamine may be followed. 3. When 133 mg. of histamine was given by mouth to three men, it was mainly conjugated histamine that appeared in the urine. 4. When 3·5‐5 mg. was infused intravenously in three men, free histamine appeared in the urine. 5. In two of these experiments no changes were detected in the histamine content of the plasma or cells obtained from the antecubital vein. It is concluded that investigations of the excretion of histamine are more likely to give information about the release of histamine in the body than investigations on venous blood.

Histamine Metabolism in Diseases of The Liver

“…The finding of an increase in blood histamine accompanied by a normal value for excretion of -histamine in the urine of these patients suggests that the high blood levels were not due to liberation of histamine into the plasma, since in such circumstances increased urinary excretion would be expected (21). It is possible, of course, that histamine was retained in the plasma because the kidneys failed to excrete it, but it appears more likely that the high values were due to a disturbance of hepatic function resulting in an increase in histamine in other elements of the blood, possibly in the eosinophilic or basophilic leukocytes.…”

Histamine Metabolism in Man

“…It should be mentioned here that very large doses of histamine (133 mg) have been given orally to man without any significant increase in urinary free histamine (ADAM, 1949). This should mean that less than 2 mg histamine reached the circulating blood (ADAM, CARD, RIDDELL, ROBERTS and STRONG, 1954) and indicates that histamine in the intestine is fairly efficiently metabolized before it is absorbed by the blood, if it is absorbed.…”

“…Both methods involve a concentration of the histamine by absorption to a cation exchanger and subsequent biological assay of the histamine content of the eluate on the isolated ileum of the guinea-pig. ADAM (1949) initially used a modification of the method described by ANREP et al (1944), in which histamine was concentrated by adsorption to charcoal. Then ROBERTS and ADAM (1950) succeeded in developing a more sensitive and reliable method for urinary histamine, namely:…”

“…The resorption rate of histamine from the colon is not specifically known; histamine in the colon may reach the blood in larger amounts than histamine given by the mouth. 133 mg histamine have been given orally without any significant increase in urinary free histamine (ADAM, 1949).…”

Factors influencing the urinary excretion of histamine in the rat

“…The latter has been identified as acetyl histamine (Millican, Rosenthal & Tabor, 1949). The injection of histamine increases the quantity of free histamine in the urine, and its oral administration increases the urinary excretion of acetyl histamine (Anrep et al 1944; Adam, 1950). Histamine is also partly destroyed in the body, and appears in the urine as imidazoleacetic acid (Tabor, Mehler & Schayer, 1953).…”