Effects of Histamine and H1- and H2-Receptor Blocker on Food Intake, Food Passage Rate and in situ Nutrient Uptake from the Small Intestine of Chicken (Gallus domestics)

• Published in: The Journal of Poultry Science Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 401 - 408
• Main Authors: Nasir, Abdul, Moudgal, Ram P., Singh, Narendra B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ibaraki Japan Poultry Science Association 2007; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: food intake; H1-receptor; H2-receptor; histamine; nutrient absorption
• ISSN: 1346-7395; 1349-0486
• DOI: 10.2141/jpsa.44.401

To implicate histamine and its receptors in feed intake and nutrient transport, White Leghorn cockerels of the same age and body weight were grouped randomly into six groups. The first group was injected intraperitoneally with histamine (30mg/kg/body weight) for five consecutive days (equally 3 times within 24h). Similarly the second group was treated with H1-receptor blocker at the rate of 60mg/kg body weight; the third was with histamine on priming with H1 blocker as above; the fourth was with H2 blocker at the rate of H1; the fifth was with histamine primed with H2 blocker as above; and the sixth was sham-treated control. Histamine suppressed feed intake (P<0.05). A significant recovery in feed intake was noticed with the priming of H2 blocker. Food passage time also reduced significantly with the administration of histamine and this was significantly checked with the priming of both H1 and H2 blockers. The uptake calcium (Ca++) and phosphorus values at 15, 30 or 45 minutes post-infusion stages did not differ between histamine and control groups. However, both H1 and H2-receptors blockers priming to histamine or even alone H2 blocker improved the uptake of Ca++ (P<0.05) at all stages compared to histamine or control group. But in case of phosphorus, priming of H1 blocker with histamine failed to show any significant effect whereas H2 blocker priming to histamine reduced the uptake at all stages. Glucose uptake was significantly (P<0.05) greater in histamine-treated group at all stages as compared to control but priming of either H1 or H2 blockers to histamine failed to show significant change. In brief, histamine reduces feed intake, feed passage time but improves glucose uptake, and predominantly the H2 blocker reversed the feed suppression but both H1 and H2 inhibitors reduced feed passage time, and also improved Ca++ uptake.