Effect of Histaminase Treatment on Histamine and Anaphylactic Shock in Guinea Pigs

Abstract

Summary: In guinea pigs, the intravenous injection of histaminase 15 minutes before the intraäbdominal injection of 4 mgm. of histamine prevented in most instances the symptoms of histamine-shock. Of 10 control animals, all showed marked symptoms within 5 to 7 minutes and 7 animals died shortly after. Of the 20 animals pretreated with histaminase, 6 showed slight symptoms after 15 minutes, which disappeared in a few minutes in all but 2 animals that died 35 minutes after the injection of the histamine. Histaminase given intravenously 15 minutes before the administration of egg-white intraäbdominally to previously sensitized guinea pigs prevented an anaphylactic shock completely in 15 out of 20 animals. The other 5 guinea pigs showed only very slight symptoms beginning 20 minutes after the injection of egg-white and lasting for a few minutes. Of the 10 control animals all showed severe anaphylactic shock developing within 5 to 10 minutes and 4 animals died 10 to 14 minutes after the injection of the egg-white.