Investigations of Methods in the Study of Anaphylaxis. ∗

Abstract

Comparisons were made of the intraperitoneal, respiratory and Dale methods with the intravenous route to determine which method of inducing anaphylactic shock was most reliable in the evaluation of a given state of hypersensitiveness. To make such a determination, we deviated somewhat from the regular method of a single shock dose and employed what might be termed the double shock method, that is we compared 2 criteria in the same animal.

In the first group we gave intraperitoneal injections to 46 sensitized animals. From one to several hours later these same animals received an intravenous injection of the same material in considerably smaller amounts.

Of these 46 animals, 21 were negative by both methods. Of the remaining, after the intraperitoneal injection 12 were negative, 3 gave a ± reaction, 1 5 gave a + reaction and 5 gave a + + + reaction. After the intravenous injection 2 gave a + reaction, 5 gave a + + reaction, 4 gave a + + + reaction and 14 died. Comparing our results, the reactions following the intravenous injection were more severe than those following the intraperitoneal injection.

In the next group we exposed 29 nasally sensitized animals to the same antigenic dust after a suitable incubation period. As in the first group, these animals were later given an intravenous injection of an extract of this antigenic dust.

Of these 29 animals, after the inhalation exposures 7 were negative, 5 gave a ± reaction, 8 gave a + reaction and 9 gave a +++ reaction. After the intravenous injection 4 were negative, 2 gave a ± reaction, 3 gave a + reaction, 3 gave a +++ reaction and 17 died. Here again after the intravenous injection more pronounced reactions were obtained than after the inhalation.