The Mechanism of the Anaphylaxis Reaction in the Rabbit

Summary In acute anaphylactic shock in the rabbit, whether induced with cells (corpuscles) or with dissolved protein, and after both passive and active sensitization, an occlusion of the pulmonary vessels is constantly observed. Experiments with dissolved corpuscles and with primarily toxic serum indicate that this occlusion is not embolic but is due to a contraction of the muscular coat of the arteries comparable with that of the bronchial musculature in anaphylactic shock in the guinea-pig. The local phenomenon of Arthus and the cachexia of the rabbit that was observed by the same author appear, also, to be the result of a similar interference with the circulation.