Inhibition of Fatal Anaphylactic Shock in the Mouse with Cortisone

Abstract

Abstract Cortisone does not inhibit active or passive anaphylaxis in the guinea pig (1–6). Contrary to these observations, Nelson, Fox and Freeman (7) have reported that cortisone inhibits anaphylaxis in the mouse. However, they used large doses of heterologous serum, representing approximately one-half the circulating blood volume of the mouse, to produce shock as well as large single doses of cortisone to inhibit the shock reaction. Kind and Parfentjev (8) have observed that, in the mouse, a 3 mg dose of cortisone reduces the incidence of fatal anaphylactic shock produced with relatively large doses of phase I pertussis vaccine from 88% to 42%. We have since shown that anaphylaxis can be produced in the mouse with small amounts of bovine albumin (9). In view of the more suitable experimental conditions thus defined, the effect of cortisone on anaphylaxis in the mouse was reinvestigated.