Observations on Itching Produced by Cowhag, and on the Part Played by Histamine as a Mediator of the Itch Sensation

Broadbent, J. L.

doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.1953.tb00792.x

Cited by 29 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…A previous study on the effect of the H 1 blocker mepyramine on cowhage itch was inconclusive because the majority of subjects (9 of 13) still reported intense itch after cowhage application, although the effect on histamine itch was not tested (Broadbent, 1953). In the present study, topical antihistamine treatment did not affect cowhage itch, whereas histamine itch was abolished.…”

Section: Cowhage-induced Itch Is Nonhistaminergicmentioning

confidence: 45%

Psychophysical and Physiological Evidence for Parallel Afferent Pathways Mediating the Sensation of Itch

Johanek¹,

Meyer²,

Hartke³

et al. 2007

J. Neurosci.

179

156

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The neuronal pathways for itch have been characterized mainly based on responses to histamine. Intracutaneous application of histamine produces intense itch and a large area of axon-reflexive vasodilation ("flare") around the application site. Both phenomena are thought to be mediated through neuronal activity in itch-specific, mechanoinsensitive C-fiber afferents (CMi). However, mechanical and electrical stimuli that do not activate CMi fibers can cause the sensation of itch, and itch may occur without flare, suggesting that other neuronal itch pathways exist. Because cutaneous application of spicules from the plant Mucuna pruriens (cowhage) has been anecdotally reported to produce itch without flare, we performed psychophysical experiments to investigate whether the mechanisms underlying cowhage-and histamine-induced itch differ. Although histamine and cowhage produced itch of similar magnitude, the itch to cowhage was not correlated with the itch to histamine; some subjects had intense itch to cowhage and little itch to histamine and visa versa. Laser Doppler measurements of blood flow revealed that histamine led to a large area of vasodilation, whereas cowhage produced vasodilation restricted to the application site. Pretreatment of the skin with an antihistamine blocked the itch produced by histamine but did not prevent cowhage-induced itch. Desensitization of the skin with topical capsaicin abolished cowhage-induced itch but did not significantly alter histamine-induced itch. These findings indicate that cowhage itch is signaled through a population of capsaicin-sensitive afferent nerve fibers that is distinct from CMi fibers mediating histamine-induced itch. Cowhage may be useful to investigate the neural pathway mediating nonhistaminergic itch.

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Section: Cowhage-induced Itch Is Nonhistaminergicmentioning

confidence: 45%

Psychophysical and Physiological Evidence for Parallel Afferent Pathways Mediating the Sensation of Itch

Johanek¹,

Meyer²,

Hartke³

et al. 2007

J. Neurosci.

179

156

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“…The spicules found on the pod of the leguminous plant cowhage (Mucuna pruriens) and, more importantly, the sensory effects that these induce when inserted into the epidermis, were described in 1953 by Broadbent, who wrongfully concluded their itch inducing properties to be a consequence of an unknown substance causing histamine release (57). A few years later, Shelley & Arthur isolated mucunain, identified it as a proteinase, suggested it to be the principal itch-inducing compound in cowhage, and reported that the itch sensation it induced was "very unlike that of histamine" (8,58).…”

Section: Proteinase-activated Receptor 2/4 (Par) Mediated Itchmentioning

confidence: 97%

Human Surrogate Models of Histaminergic and Non-histaminergic Itch

Andersen¹,

Elberling²,

Arendt-Nielsen³

2014

Acta Derm Venerol

110

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Within the last decade understanding of the mechanistic basis of itch has improved significantly, resulting in the development of several human surrogate models of itch and related dysesthetic states. Well-characterized somatosensory models are useful in basic studies in healthy volunteers, in clinical studies for diagnostic and segmentation purposes, and in pharmacological studies to evaluate the antipruritic efficacy of existing and novel compounds. This review outlines recently introduced histamine-independent human models of itch, their mechanisms, their ability to induce clinically relevant phenomena, such as alloknesis, and the results obtained through their use. The article also introduces recent advances in the understanding of itch and provides an overview of the methods to assess experimentally-induced itch and associated manifestations. Major improvements are warranted in the treatment of chronic pruritus, and reliable human surrogate models are a valuable tool in achieving them, both for basic researchers and for clinicians.

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“…Cowhage produces pricking and burning pain in addition to itch (Broadbent, 1953). In addition, the cowhage spicules penetrate the skin, producing mechanical stimulation that could vary with slight movements of spicules or skin.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Magnitude and Duration of Itch Produced by Intracutaneous Injections of Histamine

Simone

Ngeow

Whitehouse

et al. 1987

Somatosensory Research

121

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The magnitude and duration of itch sensation produced by intracutaneous injection of histamine were determined for humans with the procedure of magnitude estimation scaling. Thirteen subjects received a 10-microliter intracutaneous injection of histamine at doses of 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 micrograms into the volar forearm; eight of these subjects also received a 100-microgram dose. One subject received multiple injections over several weeks to determine the reliability of the magnitude estimates of itch. Following each injection, the area of flare and duration of itch were also determined. Intracutaneous injection of histamine produced a pure sensation of itch, without pain. The magnitude of itch increased in a dose-dependent fashion. The lowest histamine dose that produced itch greater than the itch produced by vehicle was 0.01 micrograms. The greatest itch was produced by the 100-microgram dose. A power function fitted to the mean magnitude estimates had an exponent of 0.17, indicating a negatively accelerating relation between the magnitude of itch and histamine dose. The one subject who received histamine over several weeks gave fairly reproducible estimates of itch magnitude. The duration of itch and the area of flare also increased in a dose-dependent fashion. The lowest dose of histamine that produced a duration of itch longer than the itch produced by the vehicle was 0.1 microgram, while the 100-microgram dose produced the longest duration of itch. Although the area of flare increased with each increase in dose from 0.1 to 10 micrograms, the areas of flare produced by 10 and 100 micrograms of histamine did not differ. These results indicate that humans can scale the magnitude of itch produced by histamine in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the duration of itch and the area of flare produced by histamine are dose-dependent, confirming results of previous investigators. Intracutaneous histamine is easily quantifiable and may thus be a useful stimulus in neurophysiological studies of the peripheral neural mechanisms of itch.

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Observations on Itching Produced by Cowhag, and on the Part Played by Histamine as a Mediator of the Itch Sensation

Cited by 29 publications

References 26 publications

Psychophysical and Physiological Evidence for Parallel Afferent Pathways Mediating the Sensation of Itch

Psychophysical and Physiological Evidence for Parallel Afferent Pathways Mediating the Sensation of Itch

Human Surrogate Models of Histaminergic and Non-histaminergic Itch

The Magnitude and Duration of Itch Produced by Intracutaneous Injections of Histamine

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