Suppression by Antihistamine of Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis Produced with Anaphylactic Antibody in the Guinea Pig

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Abstract
Summary and Conclusions: Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) was induced in guinea pigs with guinea pig anaphylactic (γ1) anti-egg albumin. The γ1 antibody was isolated by diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography or starch block electrophoresis. The PCA reactions could be significantly suppressed by the antihistamines mepyramine maleate and triprolidine hydrochloride. These findings are in contrast to those obtained with heterologous γ2 antibody. PCA produced with the latter can be partially suppressed by rendering the animals leukopenic, but antihistamines have little suppressive effect. On the basis of these and of ultrastructural findings reported elsewhere, it is concluded that there are two mechanisms underlying the PCA reaction, depending on the type of antibody used for sensitization. Whereas PCA induced with γ2 antibody seems to be mediated primarily by release of lysosomal material from polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes, PCA elicited with anaphylactic (γ1) antibody is probably mediated by release of histamine from sensitized mast cells.