Arthus Reaction in the Mouse and the Rat after Intralabial Injection of Antigens

Abstract

Systemic anaphylaxis cannot be produced in mice and rats as readily as in many other species of animals. Local anaphylactic reaction in the skin of the rat is scant and in the mouse has not been demonstrated, at least in its typical form. Selye (1) discovered that the normal rat responds with edema and purple discoloration of the “snout” and paws to the first injection of egg white given into a vein or the peritoneal cavity. He also has shown that the same reaction occurs following the injection of a relatively small amount of dextran (2) into the lip or the subcutaneous tissue of the dorsum of the paw; in these instances the “snout” and all of the paws develop purplish discoloration and edema. McMaster Kruse, Sturm and Edwards (3) found that the lips and paws of actively sensitized mice may respond with purple discoloration and swelling to the intravenous injection of rabbit serum containing the appropriate antibodies (reverse passive anaphylaxis) ² .