Histamine and cardiac arrhythmias

Abstract

We will review here what is known of the specific arrhythmogenic effects of histamine upon each particular type of cardiac cell. Arrhythmias resulting from the release of histamine from the heart (and elsewhere) during anaphylaxis will be discussed, as well as the role of histamine in the genesis or modification of other arrhythmias associated with histamine release. We will also consider other arrhythmogenic effects of histamine, including effects which are indirect (e.g., ischemic arrhythmias precipitated by histamine-mediated coronary spasm), and effects of unknown mechanism (e.g., reduction of ventricular fibrillation threshold by histamine). Finally, we will touch upon the modulation of histamine's arrhythmogenic properties by other compounds.