Suppression of excitatory synaptic transmission in the centrolateral amygdala via presynaptic histamine H3 heteroreceptors

Abstract The central histaminergic system has a pivotal role in emotional regulation and psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. However, the effect of histamine on neuronal activity of the centrolateral amygdala (CeL), an essential node for fear and anxiety processing, remains unknown. Here, using immunostaining and whole‐cell patch clamp recording combined with optogenetic manipulation of histaminergic terminals in CeL slices prepared from histidine decarboxylase (HDC)‐Cre rats, we show that histamine selectively suppresses excitatory synaptic transmissions, including glutamatergic transmission from the basolateral amygdala, on both PKC‐δ‐ and SOM‐positive CeL neurons. The histamine‐induced effect is mediated by H3 receptors expressed on VGLUT1‐/VGLUT2‐positive presynaptic terminals in CeL. Furthermore, optoactivation of histaminergic afferent terminals from the hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) also significantly suppresses glutamatergic transmissions in CeL via H3 receptors. Histamine neither modulates inhibitory synaptic transmission by presynaptic H3 receptors nor directly excites CeL neurons by postsynaptic H1, H2 or H4 receptors. These results suggest that histaminergic afferent inputs and presynaptic H3 heteroreceptors may hold a critical position in balancing excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmissions in CeL by selective modulation of glutamatergic drive, which may not only account for the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders but also provide potential psychotherapeutic targets. image Key points Histamine selectively suppresses the excitatory, rather than inhibitory, synaptic transmissions on both PKC‐δ‐ and SOM‐positive neurons in the centrolateral amygdala (CeL). H3 receptors expressed on VGLUT1‐ or VGLUT2‐positive afferent terminals mediate the suppression of histamine on glutamatergic synaptic transmission in CeL. Optogenetic activation of hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN)–CeL histaminergic projections inhibits glutamatergic transmission in CeL via H3 receptors.