Mast-cell histamine is angiogenic through receptors for histamine1 and histamine2.

The activation of mast-cells in situ induces angiogenesis in normally vascularized, adult mammalian tissue. Since the secreting mast-cell characteristically releases histamine, we studied the possible role of histamine in the outcome of mast-cell mediated angiogenesis using the rat mesenteric window assay. One H1-receptor antagonist, brompheniramine maleate (BPA), and one H2-receptor antagonist, metiamide, were separately administered systemically (s.c.) at non-toxic doses during the period of angiogenesis induction. Angiogenesis was effected by i.p. injections of the mast-cell secretagogue compound 48/80 for 5 consecutive days. The animals were killed 14 days after the start of the i.p. and s.c. treatment, close to the middle of the expanding angiogenic phase of the angiogenic reaction studied. Angiogenesis was quantified in terms of (a) the number of vessel profiles per unit tissue length (No/UL), which reflects mainly the degree of branching and/or tortuosity, (b) the relative vascularized area (VA), which is a measure of spatial extension, and (c) the vascular density (VD), a measure of vessel density per unit area of vascularized tissue. Whereas BPA significantly suppressed No/UL, metiamide significantly reduced No/UL and VD in statistical terms suggesting that endogenous mast-cell histamine is angiogenic through both H1- and H2-receptors. This appears to be the first paper to report that the occupancy of H2-receptors is angiogenic.