Pattern of in vivo release of endogenous histamine in the mamillary body and the amygdala

Summary The mamillary body and the medial amygdaloid nucleus of cats anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbital were bilaterally and simultaneously superfused through push-pull cannulae with CSF and the release of endogenous histamine was determined in the superfusates. Collection of the superfusates in 10 min time periods revealed that histamine was rhythmically released in the two areas with frequencies of one cycle/90 min (mamillary body) or one cycle/135 min (medial amygdaloid nucleus). Collection of the superfusates in time periods of 2 min revealed the existence of an additional ultradian rhythm with a frequency of approximately one cycle/19 min in both areas. Bilateral lesions of the suprachiasmatic nucleus did not seem to influence the pattern of histamine release in the mamillary body and the medial amygdaloid nucleus, but the rate of histamine release was decreased in the mamillary body. It is concluded that the ultradian rhythms of histamine release in the mamillary body and the medial amygdaloid nucleus are not dependent on the integrity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The rate of histamine release in the mamillary body seems to be under the influence of excitatory neurons which originate from the suprachiasmatic nucleus.This work was supported by the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (P5750)Send offprint requests to H. Prast