Abstract The reaction of histamine and histidine with various hetarylaldehydes under the conditions of the base-catalyzed Pictet-Spengler process affords 4-hetaryl-substituted derivatives of spinaceamine and spinacine. The dehydrogenation of the 4-hetaryl- substituted spinaceamine derivatives using elemental sulfur in DMF at 120–130° C led to the formation of 4-hetaryl derivatives of imidazo [4, 5-c]-pyridine. Under similar conditions ...