Ion exchange chromotagraphy for quantitative analysis of radioactive histamine metabolites in human urine

For analysis of radioactive histamine metabolites in human urine a simple ion exchange chromatographic method is described. The method is compared with the isotope dilution method developed by Schayer. The advantages of the new method are rapidity and a greater possibility to account for all the radioactive histamine metabolites excreted in the urine. Data also suggest that the histamine metabolite imidazoleacetic acid riboside is partly lost in the isotope dilution method because of adsorption to urinary constituents during hydrolysis. The catabolism of intravenously and orally given [14C]histamine was studied in one healthy subject. The general metabolic pattern of histamine was confirmed. In addition, it was found that histaminol might be a minor metabolite of injected histamine. It is believed that the chromatographic method will be useful in several metabolic studies in the histamine field.