Papers of the Week

Histamine, acting via distinct histamine H , H , H and H receptors (H R, H R, H R, H R), regulates various physiological and pathological processes, including pain. In the last two decades, there has been a particular increase in evidence to support the involvement of H R and H R in the modulation of neuropathic pain, that remains challenging in terms of management. However, recent data show contrasting effects on neuropathic pain due to multiple factors that determine the pharmacological responses of histamine receptors and their underlying signal transduction properties (e.g., localization on either the pre- or postsynaptic neuronal membrane). This review summarizes the most recent findings on the role of histamine and the effects mediated by the four histamine receptors in response to the various stimuli associated with and promoting neuropathic pain. We particularly focus on mechanisms underlying histamine-mediated analgesia, as we aim to clarify the analgesic potential of histamine receptor ligands in neuropathic pain.