Effects of selective histamine receptor antagonists on skin responses to intradermal bradykinin in healthy volunteers

The effects of chlorpheniramine and cimetidine on the cutaneous responses to intradermal injections of bradykinin were investigated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Chlorpheniramine significantly attenuated the increase in cutaneous blood flow and erythema induced by bradykinin but not the weal response. Cimetidine was without influence on these parameters and the effects of the combined therapy of chlorpheniramine and cimetidine were not significantly different from those due to chlorpheniramine alone. These results suggest that the cutaneous vasodilator effect of bradykinin is in part due to histamine release acting on histamine H1-receptors.