Additive effect of histamine and muscimol upon induction of antinociceptive and antidepressant effects in mice.

We investigated the effects of histamine and GABAA receptor agents on pain and depression-like behaviors and their interaction using a tail-flick test and the forced swimming test (FST) in male mice. Our data revealed that intraperitoneal administration of muscimol (0.12 and 0.25 mg/kg) increased the percentage of maximum possible effect (%MPE) and area under the curve (AUC) of %MPE, indicating an antinociceptive response. Intraperitoneal injection of bicuculline (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) decreased %MPE and AUC of %MPE, suggesting hyperalgesia. Moreover, muscimol by reducing the immobility time of the FST elicited an antidepressant-like response but bicuculline by enhancing the immobility time of the FST caused a depressant-like response. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) microinjection of histamine (5 µg/mouse) enhanced %MPE and AUC of %MPE. i.c.v. infusion of histamine (2.5 and 5 µg/mouse) decreased immobility time in the FST. Co-administration of different doses of histamine along with a sub-threshold dose of muscimol potentiated antinociceptive and antidepressant-like responses produced by histamine. Cotreatment of different doses of histamine plus a noneffective dose of bicuculline reversed antinociception and antidepressant-like effects elicited by histamine. Cotreatment of histamine, muscimol, and bicuculline reversed antinociceptive and antidepressant-like behaviors induced by the drugs. The results demonstrated additive antinociceptive and antidepressant-like effects between histamine and muscimol in mice. In conclusion, our results indicated an interaction between the histaminergic and GABAergic systems in the modulation of pain and depression-like behaviors.

GABA-ergic agents modulated the effects of histamine on the behaviour of male mice in the elevated plus maze test.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? Is there an interaction between histamine and the GABAergic system in modulation of anxiety in mice? What is the main finding and its importance? There is a synergistic anxiogenic effect between histamine and bicuculline in mice. This effect may be due to a direct or an indirect effect of the histaminergic system on the GABAergic system. ABSTRACT: It has been documented that both histaminergic and GABAergic systems participate in the neurobiology of anxiety behaviour. In the current research, we investigated the effects of the histaminergic system and GABAA receptor agents on anxiety-related behaviours and their interaction using the elevated plus maze test in mice. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of muscimol (0.12 and 0.25 mg/kg) increased the open arm time (OAT) (P < 0.001) without affecting the open arm entries (OAE) and locomotor activity, showing an anxiolytic effect. i.p. injection of bicuculline (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) decreased OAT (P < 0.001) but not OAE and locomotor activity, suggesting an anxiogenic behaviour. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) microinjection of histamine (2.5 and 5 µg/mouse) resulted in a decline in OAT (P < 0.001) but not OAE and locomotor activity, indicating an anxiogenic response. Co-administration of histamine with GABAergic agents, muscimol (0.06 mg/kg; i.p.) and bicuculline (0.25 mg/kg; i.p.), decreased (P < 0.001) and increased (P < 0.05), respectively, the anxiogenic-like response to the effective dose (5 µg/mouse; i.c.v.) of histamine. In addition, co-treatment of effective doses of histamine (2.5 and 5 µg/mouse;i.c.v.) with an effective dose of muscimol (0.12 mg/kg; i.p.) and a non-effective dose of bicuculline (0.25 mg/kg; i.p.) significantly decreased OAT (P < 0.001), suggesting a likely interaction between the histaminergic and GABAergic systems in the regulation of anxiety. The results demonstrated a synergistic anxiogenic-like effect between histamine and bicuculline in mice. In conclusion, our results present an interaction between the histaminergic and GABAergic systems in anxiolytic/anxiogenic-like behaviours in the elevated plus maze test.