J. Kravitz, W. Snape, Sidney R. Cohen
Feb 1, 1978
Citations
0
Influential Citations
32
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Gastroenterology
Abstract
Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of histamine phosphate and specific histamine antagonists on human lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure. Continuous intravenous infusions of histamine at doses of 2.0 to 40.0 μg/kg-hr gave graded increases in LES pressure with a peak response of 37.8 ± 4.6 mm Hg at 20.0 μg/ kr-hr. The LES response was not altered by an H 1 -antagonist, diphenhydramine (50 mg, intravenously), but was completely blocked by infusion of the H 2 -antagonist, cimetidine (4.0 mg/kg-hr). Also, oral cimetidine (300 mg) antagonized any increase in LES pressure during histamine infusion at a dose shown to give the maximal LES response. Despite this effect of cimetidine in antagonizing the maximal LES response to histamine, oral cimetidine at 200, 300, and 400 mg failed to alter basal LES pressure over a 3-hr period. Cimetidine also failed to alter the LES response to intravenous pentagastrin or oral beef hydrolysate. These studies suggest that: (1) human LES pressure increases in response to intravenous histamine phosphate through its action at an H 2 -receptor; (2) the H 1 -receptor has no apparent role in the human LES response to histamine; and (3) H 2 -antagonism with cimetidine has no effect on the human LES basal pressure or its response to gastrin stimulation.