Histamine, its receptors and drugs acting on these receptors
Histamine Introduction Autacoids is a general term that refers to a number of compounds such as: histamine, serotonin, endogenous peptides, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes. The formal definition of autacoids is "self-remedy”, referring to the action of local hormones Histamine is a biogenic amine found in many body tissues and cells. It is synthesized from the amino acid L-histidine through mediation of the enzyme L-histidine decarboxylase, while its metabolism is mediated by the enzyme histamine N-methyltransferase, or alternatively by diamino-oxidase. Chemistry and Pharmacokinetics The formation of histamine occurs by the removal of a carboxyl group (decarboxylation) from amino acid L-histidine. One of the important issues associated with formation of a biologically active compound is the mechanism that accounts for the compounds inactivation . Histamine is act