The Effect of Excess Antigen on the Anaphylactic Reaction

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Abstract
Summary: The following methods were used to determine the effect of large amounts of antigen in the eliciting of anaphylactic reactions: a) anaphylactic contraction of strips of ileum passively sensitized in vitro; b) liberation of histamine by slices of guinea pig lungs passively sensitized in vitro; and c) passive anaphylactic shock in mice. Rabbit anti-ovalbumin or anti-bovine serum albumin was used in the studies of isolated tissues, and mouse anti-ovalbumin was used for passive sensitization of mice. These three types of anaphylactic reaction could be specifically inhibited when a large quantity of antigen was used as the eliciting dose. The eliciting dose of antigen (ovalbumin, bovine serum albumin) was 1000 to 10,000 times higher than the minimal amount of antigen necessary to produce a maximal anaphylactic reaction or fatal anaphylactic shock. In this inhibition of anaphylactic reactions by excess of antigen, the larger the quantity of antibody used for passive sensitization, the greater the dose of the antigen necessary for inhibition.