Sertraline and amitriptyline enhance histamine metabolism in guinea-pig tissues

Background Aside from their typical use to treat depression, many antidepressants are also used to treat anxiety disorders and chronic pain disorders. Moreover, it has been proved that they show anti-inflammatory effects. We believe that a part of this effect of antidepressants can arise as a consequence of histamine elimination from the site of inflammation. In mammals, histamine is mainly metabolised by diamine oxidase (DAO) and histamine-N-methyltransferase (HNMT). Therefore, we studied the effects of two antidepressants, amitriptyline and sertraline, on histamine metabolism in guinea-pigs.