%0 Journal Article %T Histamine modulates microglia function %A Raquel Ferreira %A Tiago Santos %A Joana Gon£¿alves %A Gra£¿a Baltazar %A Lino Ferreira %A Fabienne Agasse %A Liliana Bernardino %J Journal of Neuroinflammation %D 2012 %I BioMed Central %R 10.1186/1742-2094-9-90 %X Firstly, we detected the expression of all known histamine receptor subtypes (H1R, H2R, H3R and H4R), using a murine microglial cell line and primary microglia cell cultures from rat cortex, by real-time PCR analysis, immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. Then, we evaluated the role of histamine in microglial cell motility by performing scratch wound assays. Results were further confirmed using murine cortex explants. Finally, interleukin-1beta (IL-1¦Â) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-¦Á) levels were evaluated by ELISA measurements to determine the role of histamine on the release of these inflammatory mediators.After 12 h of treatment, 100 ¦ÌM histamine and 10 ¦Ìg/ml histamine-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) microparticles significantly stimulated microglia motility via H4R activation. In addition, migration involves ¦Á5¦Â1 integrins, and p38 and Akt signaling pathways. Migration of microglial cells was also enhanced in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 ng/ml), used as a positive control. Importantly, histamine inhibited LPS-stimulated migration via H4R activation. Histamine or H4R agonist also inhibited LPS-induced IL-1¦Â release in both N9 microglia cell line and hippocampal organotypic slice cultures.To our knowledge, we are the first to show a dual role of histamine in the modulation of microglial inflammatory responses. Altogether, our data suggest that histamine per se triggers microglia motility, whereas histamine impedes LPS-induced microglia migration and IL-1¦Â release. This last datum assigns a new putative anti-inflammatory role for histamine, acting via H4R to restrain exacerbated microglial responses under inflammatory challenge, which could have strong repercussions in the treatment of CNS disorders accompanied by microglia-derived inflammation. %K Histamine %K Microglia %K Inflammation %K Histamine 4 receptor %K Migration %U http://www.jneuroinflammation.com/content/9/1/90/abstract