Antihistamines

Lecture objectives

  • Allergic reactions, histamine and antihistamines
  • Histamine receptors
  • Antihistamine drugs (H1 antagonists)
  • Gastric antihistamine drugs (H2 antagonists)

What is inflammation

See Tissue Inflammation

Histamine and allergic diseases

see allergy and hypersensetivity

Hypersensitivity reactions (type I)

See hypersensitivity

Sensitisation phase

hes talking about the b cell encoutering the allergen and makeing ige antibodies and doing clinal expansion

activation phase

the allergen antibodies attached to the mast calls are activated triggering degranulation

Histamine, a ubiquitous biogenic amine in immunity and physiology

Histamine is structurally related to neurotansmitter like dopamine and serotonin, It is widely districuteed across the body, primary tissue source is the mast cell and in the blood basophils are the source,

Sources of histamine: storage and turnover

there is a slow and fast turnover pool

slow stores large amounts and releases it fsat does not store histamine and instead just make

Histamine receptors

there are 4 and they are GPCRs

H1 is involved in allergy, inflammetion, and smooth muscle contraction H2 regulates Gastric acid secretion H1 and H2 are the main targets of antihistamines

H1 receptors

  • Cause increase in intracellular calcium
  • smooth muscle contraction
  • Increased vascular permeability

Functions and location Vascular endothelium Increases vasodilation and vascular permability contributes to swelling, redness and hypotension

Bronchcial endothelium Causes constriction, contributing to asthma symptoms

Sensory nerve endings Triggers itching and pain

Histamine effects from H1

Dilates blood vessels contracts intestinal and bronchial smooth muscle increases bascular permability and oedema sensetises afferent nerve terminals neurotransmitter that increases wakefullness

Triple response

The effects of histamine may be seen in the triple response. this is the 3 things that happen with a localised allergic reaction (eg a prick test). They are

  • wheal
  • flare
  • Itch

H2 receptors

Functions and locations: Stomach (parietal cells) stimulates HCL secretion via H+/K+ ATPase activation Cardiovascular (cardiac muscle) Increases heartrate and cardiac output

Histamine effects (H2)

Stimulates secretion of gastric acid Increases cardiac rate and output

Antihistamines

H1 antihistamines

H1 antihistamines are antiallergy drugs. Some examples include:

  • Fexofenadine (Telfast), cetirizine (zyrtec) (2nd gen, non-sed)
  • Diphenhydramine (benadryl) (1st gen, sed)

These drugs are competitive antagonists at H1 receptors

The side effects are:

  • anticholinergic effects
  • Sedation

Indications are: allergic rhinitis, acute urticaria (hives) - hay fever - insect bits - Conjunctivitis

Some 1st gen antihistamines (benadryl) are: Antiemetic agents Anti-tussive agents Produce anticholinergic effects in the CNS Sedative/hypnotic agents

Cromolyn (cromoglicate) is different It inhibits release of histamine from mast cells used as a nasal spray

Treatment of motion sickness

Some antihistamines work on the brainstem vestibular nuclei to reduce motion induced nausea and vomiting.

H2 receptors antagonists

Cimetidine, renitidine main use is to inhibit gastric acid secretion. (peptic ulcers and reflux oesophagitis) largely omeprazole is used for this,

Summary

AND GUT content