Local histamine H1- and H2-receptor blockade reduces postexercise skeletal muscle interstitial glucose concentrations in humans

Abstract

Elevated blood flow can potentially influence skeletal muscle glucose uptake, but the impact of postexercise hyperemia on glucose availability to skeletal muscle remains unknown. Because postexercise hyperemia is mediated by histamine H1- and H2-receptors, we tested the hypothesis that postexercise interstitial glucose concentrations would be lower in the presence of combined H1- and H2-receptor blockade. To this end, 4 microdialysis probes were inserted into the vastus lateralis muscle of 14 healthy subjects (21–27 years old) immediately after 60 min of either upright cycling at 60% peak oxygen uptake (exercise, n = 7) or quiet rest (sham, n = 7). Microdialysis probes were perfused with a modified Ringer’s solution containing 3 mmol·L–1 glucose, 5 mmol·L–1 ethanol, and [6-3H] glucose (200 disintegrations·min–1·μL–1). Two sites (blockade) received both H1- and H2-receptor antagonists (1 mmol·L–1 pyrilamine and 3 mmol·L–1 cimetidine) and 2 sites (control) did not receive antagonists. Ethanol outflow/inflow ratios (an inverse surrogate of local blood flow) were higher in blockade sites than in control sites following exercise (p < 0.05), whereas blockade had no effect on ethanol outflow/inflow ratios following sham (p = 0.80). Consistent with our hypothesis, during 3 of the 5 dialysate collection periods, interstitial glucose concentrations were lower in blockade sites vs. control sites following exercise (p < 0.05), whereas blockade had no effect on interstitial glucose concentrations following sham (p = 0.79). These findings indicate that local H1- and H2-receptor activation modulates skeletal muscle interstitial glucose levels during recovery from exercise in humans and suggest that the availability of glucose to skeletal muscle is enhanced by postexercise hyperemia.