Nonspecific “Desensitization” Through Histamine

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Abstract
Summary: The uterine strips of serum-sensitized guinea pigs that had received injections of histamine at the height of sensitization were less sensitive to the specific antigen than were the sensitized uterine strips of the control animals. The uterine strips of normal guinea pigs that had received injections of histamine were less sensitive to histamine than were the uterine strips of the untreated controls. These experiments suggest that histamine is the substance responsible for the anaphylactic contraction of plain muscle; that it is possible to “desensitize” sensitized guinea pigs non-specifically by injections of histamine. The observed phenomena are a further indirect proof for the correctness of Dale's theory of the anaphylactic mechanism. They also furnish a basis for an understanding of the mechanism of non-specific “desensitization” by histamine.

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