A Role for Carnosine and Anserine in Histamine Metabolism of the Traumatized Rat

Adult cocks were wounded by incisions on the left side of the pectoral muscles and tissues taken 24 and 48 hr later for determination of anserine and carnosine. Both the anserine and carnosine concentrations were lower in the wounded tissue 24 hr after injury in comparison with uninjured controls and tissue from the uninjured area of the same animals. By 48 hr levels of anserine and carnosine were essentially back to normal. Young rats were injured by fracture of the femur and simultaneously injected ip with either saline, histamine or histidine (0.2 μmoles). The leg muscle concentrations of carnosine, anserine and free-histidine were approximately 25% lower in the injured, as compared to the uninjured animals. Histidine or histamine injection prevented the decrease, and in the case of uninjured rats induced an increase, particularly of carnosine.