INTRAVASCULAR CATHETERIZATION STUDIES OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. I. HISTAMINE LEVELS IN ARTERIAL AND MIXED VENOUS BLOOD OF ASTHMATIC PATIENTS BEFORE AND DURING INDUCED ATTACKS 12

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Abstract
The histamine content of the blood from the pulmonary and the femoral arteries was investigated by means of catheterization in a group of 5 normal subjects and 14 asthmatics. Control blood histamine values were found to be higher in the group of asthmatics as compared to the values found in the normal subjects. The blood histamine levels showed little difference between venous and arterial samples in the normal subjects. In the group of asthmatics, however, arterial samples were higher than the corresponding venous samples taken at the same time. Following the admn. of histamine or mecholyl to the group of normals, there was no change in respiratory function, nor was there any appreciable change in arterial or mixed venous blood histamine, with the exception of one case. Symptoms of asthma were produced in the group of asthmatics by either the admn. of histamine or mecholyl or in suitable cases by the inhalation of an extract of ragweed. The production of asthma-like symptoms was not accompanied by any significant change in the arterial or venous blood histamine content. Induction of clinical asthma in two ragweed-sensitive patients was likewise unaccompanied by a significant increase in blood histamine values. It is concluded that a rise in the whole venous or arterial blood histamine is not an accompanying change during the induction of an asthma-like state following histamine or mecholyl injection, or during clinical asthma due to ragweed inhalations.