Inhibition of phytohaemagglutinin-induced proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes by histamine and histamine H1 and H2 agonists.

Histamine (10(-3)-10(-8) M) inhibits PHA-induced proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBL). Inhibition is detected at low concentrations of PHA but is rarely observed at high PHA concentrations. The histamine type II (H2) receptor agonists dimaprit, impromidine and 4-methylhistamine (4MH) inhibit HPBL proliferation and the H2 antagonist, cimetidine, reverses histamine-induced suppression of HPBL proliferation. Lymphocyte proliferation is also inhibited by the H1 receptor agonists, 2-pyridylethylamine and 2-thiazoylylethylamine, but only at high concentrations (10(-3) and 10(-4) M). The H1 agonist 2-methylhistamine, suppresses PHA-induced proliferation of HPBL in analogous fashion to histamine. This effect is reversed by cimetidine but not by diphenhydramine suggesting that an H2 receptor interaction is involved.