Abstract
Summary
(1) When injected into adrenalectomized mice, cortisone enables these animals to tolerate 5 doses of histamine, which are usually lethal for the adrenalectomized animals. (2) Under the same conditions, adrenaline enables adrenalectomized mice to tolerate 5 to 10 lethal doses of histamine. When, however, adrenalectomized mice are treated with both cortisone and adrenaline, they are able to tolerate 50 to 100 lethal doses of histamine, and their resistance to the drug is brought back to the normal level. (3) The relationship between increased tolerance to histamine and lowering of the hemoconcentration effect of histamine caused by cortisone and adrenaline in adrenalectomized mice suggests that these hormones exert their protective effect against the angiotoxic action of histamine on the small vessels. (4) Contrasting with this remarkable action of cortisone and adrenaline in adrenalectomized mice, these hormones do not modify the toxicity of histamine in normal animals.
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