Summary
An anaphylaxis-like syndrome was induced in adult White Leghorn chickens by intravenous administration of compound 48/80. This reaction was associated with a reduction in histamine content of the lungs, suggesting that histamine is a mediator of this syndrome. Compound 48/80 induced minimal histamine release from chopped lung in vitro, probably at concentrations which were cytotoxic. When chopped lung fragments were incubated with chicken anti-BSA antiserum and then with BSA, histamine but not SRS-A was detected in the supernatant fluid. The percentage of histamine released was a function of antigen concentration, and was greater with lung fragments from 10-day-old chicks as compared to adult chickens. No histamine was released when the lung fragments were washed after sensitization, suggesting that the antibody was not firmly bound in the tissue sites. The. antibody probably is IgG-like rather than IgE-like. The precise nature of this in vitro reaction is still not known.
