Abstract
The accidental discovery of Crandall and Roberts 1 that the administration of chondroitin sulphuric acid to patients with migraine frequently results in marked relief has not been explained. Since both the physiological action of chondroitin and the pathogenesis of migraine are only imperfectly understood, the therapy is of course empirical. Migraine has, however, been considered by a number of investigators as an allergic manifestation. Also chondroitin has been shown to have a protective action against liver injury due to a variety of causes. 2 The relationship between the liver and the anaphylactic reaction in the dog is well known. Consequently it was hoped that a study of the effect of chondroitin administration upon the anaphylactic reaction in the dog might contribute some information to these various and possibly related problems.
Chondroitin was administered to 13 horse-serum sensitized dogs in doses of 10 gm. per day. In 8 animals it was given during the last 10 days of the incubation period, and in 5 it was given for 10 days prior to the sensitizing injection and throughout the incubation period. The animals were anesthetized so that the degree of shock resulting from the assaulting dose of serum could be recorded by the blood pressure tracing. Definite shock occurred in all animals, 3 reactions being fatal, the remainder moderate to severe. The distribution of the various grades of severity of shock was identical with that in a large number of controls. 3 Consequently it is concluded that the administration of chondroitin does not influence in any way the anaphylactic reaction in the dog.
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