Anaphylaxis in the Mouse: Possible Relation of the Schultz-Dale Reaction to Serotonin Release

Abstract

Previous studies by many workers have indicated that the mouse is very resistant to histamine; and that anaphylaxis in the mouse is not demon-strably due to histamine release. It has been shown here, using the Schultz-Dale technique, that the mouse uterus is 1000 times more sensitive to serotonin than to histamine, and that this sensitivity is abolished in the presence of the known serotonin antagonists, lysergic acid diethylamide and reserpine. It also has been shown that the anaphylactic contraction of the uteri of egg white sensitized mice is inhibited in the presence of these drugs, thus supporting the hypothesis that the anaphylactic reaction in the mouse is dependent on the release of serotonin.