Abstract
Histamine is a biogenic amine that regulates multiple physiological functions in diverse organisms, specifically playing a central role in the mammalian immune response. The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), excretes histamine in large amounts in its feces as a component of its aggregation pheromone, which contaminates homes. The potential health risks associated with the presence of indoor histamine are unclear, but to predict future exposure risks, it is critical that we understand if other arthropods excrete histamine in any discernible phylogenetic pattern. In the present study, we evaluated histamine excretion by various arthropods; specifically those commonly found in large numbers indoors, other hematophagous species, and other species in the order Hemiptera. To evaluate arthropods for histamine excretion, rearing containers for each arthropod were swabbed and/or the harborage substrates were collected. Samples were then analyzed for the presence of histamine using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. For those arthropods where histamine was present above the method detection limit, total histamine excretion was quantified over a period of 2 wk. Our results indicate that histamine excretion is limited to hematophagous hemipterans (bed bugs, bat bugs, tropical bed bugs, and kissing bugs), suggesting that indoor histamine contamination in the United States can be primarily linked to bed bugs.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-2023
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjad103
Funding Information
This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health through the NIH Director’s Early Independence Award (DP5-OD028155 to ZCD). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The project was also financially supported in part by the New Mexico State University Agricultural Experiment Station and UCR Urban Entomology Endowed Chair Research Fund.
Repository Citation
Principato, Simona; Romero, Alvaro; Lee, Chow-Yang; Campbell, Kathleen; Choe, Dong-Hwan; Schal, Coby; and DeVries, Zachary C., "Histamine excretion in common indoor and hematophagous arthropods" (2023). UK CARES Faculty Publications. 100.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ukcares_facpub/100
Notes/Citation Information
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.