Increased histamine release and granulocytes within the thalamus of a rat model of Wernicke's encephalopathy

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 858; no. 2; pp. 227 - 236
• Main Authors: McRee, Robert Carter, Terry-Ferguson, Melissa, Langlais, Philip J, Chen, Y, Nalwalk, Julia W, Blumenstock, F.A, Hough, Lindsay B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 10.03.2000; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Animals; Basophils; Basophils - metabolism; Behavior, Animal; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebrovascular Circulation - immunology; Disease Models, Animal; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - blood supply; Hippocampus - immunology; Hippocampus - pathology; Histamine; Histamine - metabolism; Male; Mast cells; Mast Cells - metabolism; Medical sciences; Microdialysis; Necrosis; Nervous system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Neurology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Thalamic Nuclei; Thalamus; Thalamus - blood supply; Thalamus - immunology; Thalamus - pathology; Thiamine; Vascular changes; Wernicke Encephalopathy - immunology; Wernicke Encephalopathy - metabolism; Wernicke Encephalopathy - pathology; Histamine; Basophils; Thalamus; Mast cells; Vascular changes; Thiamine; Hippocampus; Animal model; Nervous system diseases; Rat; Deficiency; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Granulocyte; B-Vitamins; Cerebral disorder; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Central nervous system disease; Wernicke encephalopathy; Release; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-8993(99)02309-4

The current study examined the possible role of increased histamine release and granulocyte activity in the vascular changes that precede the onset of necrotic lesions with the thalamus of the pyrithiamine-induced thiamine deficiency (PTD) rat model of Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE). An increase in histamine release and the number of granulocytes was observed in lateral thalamus on day 9 and in medial thalamus on day 10 of PTD treatment, a duration of thiamine deficiency associated with perivascular edema in this brain region. Within the hippocampus, histamine release was significantly increased on day 9, declined to control levels on days 10–12, and was significantly elevated on days 12–14. No granulocytes were observed in hippocampus of either PTD or control rats. These observations suggest that the release of histamine from nerve terminals and histamine and other vasoactive substances from granulocytes may be responsible for thiamine deficiency-induced vascular breakdown and perivascular edema within thalamus.