A New Link between the Anaphylactoid Reaction in Rats and Human Allergy

Abstract

Rats from one Wistar colony were resistant to the injection of dextran or egg-white, failing to develop gross edema of the extremities (the so-called anaphy lactoid reaction). The reason for this resistance has not been fully elucidated. Selective breeding experiments have shown that this resistance (termed non-reactivity) is an autosomal recessive character and pure stocks of both reactor and non-reactor albino Wistar rats have been established. In a similar way, pure stocks of non-reactor hooded rats with color genes for black and for pink-eyed yellow have been bred.