Histamine in Diet Significantly Alters CGRP Levels and Release in Mice, study Finds
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A new study reveals a significant link between dietary histamine levels and teh concentration of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a key neuropeptide involved in pain transmission and inflammation, in mice. Researchers found that the type of diet – specifically, Altromin versus Ssniff – had a more pronounced effect on CGRP levels than the amount of histamine within the diet itself, though histamine did influence CGRP release.
sixty mice, equally divided by sex, were used in the study, building upon previously reported data regarding their general condition and weight changes [3].The animals were divided into two cohorts: one receiving either Altromin control or a high-histamine diet, and another receiving Ssniff control or a high-histamine diet.While initial food consumption decreased for 1-3 days after switching to high-histamine diets, all animals eventually maintained similar weight gain rates, with males gaining slightly more than females [3].importantly, no visible abnormalities in health or behavior were observed in any of the animals throughout the study period.
CGRP Concentrations Vary Significantly by Diet Type
The research team measured CGRP concentrations in blood plasma, the ileum, and various neural tissues – including the trigeminal ganglion, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata – in both control and test groups. Generally, CGRP concentrations were higher in mice fed the Ssniff diet compared to those fed the Altromin diet.
Statistical analysis, utilizing a factorial ANOVA, revealed significant differences in CGRP concentration between the Altromin and Ssniff diet groups in plasma (F1,52 = 9.67, p < 0.005), trigeminal ganglion (F1,51 = 62.29, p < 0.0005), cerebellum (F1,52 = 65.65, p < 0.0005), and ileum (F1,16 = 14.45, p < 0.005). Notably, no significant differences were observed based on sex, except in the ileum (F1,16 = 12.51, p < 0.005). data illustrating these differences are separately displayed for Altromin and Ssniff-fed animals in Figure 1.
Further analysis with the Tukey HSD test showed no significant differences in CGRP concentrations between corresponding control and high-histamine diets within each tissue type. Though, significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in plasma CGRP levels between the control groups, and in ileum CGRP concentrations between the high-histamine groups. Highly significant differences (p < 0.0005) were observed in neural tissues between mice fed Altromin and Ssniff diets. Detailed values for these comparisons are available in Supplementary Table 1.
Correlation Between CGRP and Histamine Levels is Complex
Researchers also investigated the correlation between CGRP and histamine concentrations in various tissues.Correlation studies revealed a tendency towards a positive correlation between CGRP and histamine in plasma and the ileum, and a negative correlation in the trigeminal ganglia and cerebellum, but not the medulla (Table 2). When data were analyzed separately for each sex,the negative correlation in the female medulla became statistically significant (*,see Table 2). These tendencies largely remained consistent when data were separated by high-histamine and control diets, and also when separated by altromin and Ssniff diets.
Building on previous histamine measurements [2], the negative correlation between CGRP and histamine was observed in male samples (n = 36, r = 0.02). The negative correlation was also observed in experiments with animals fed a control diet (n = 30,r = −0.45, p < 0.05) but not with a high-histamine diet (n = 32, r = −0.04).
These findings highlight the complex interplay between dietary histamine, CGRP levels, and CGRP release, with notable differences observed based on diet type and sex. The study underscores the importance of considering these factors in future research investigating the role of histamine and CGRP in various physiological processes.
