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Toxicity of Combined Histamine and Serotonin in Normal, Pertussis-Sensitized, and Adrenergically Blocked Mice¹

Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202

Abstract

The CFW strain of mice was shown to be susceptible to the synergistic effects of histamine and serotonin in that a combination of very low doses of these amines was lethal for these animals. The administration of propranolol which blocks the adrenergic receptors or pretreatment with B. pertussis vaccine rendered the mice only slightly more sensitive to the mixture although their sensitivity to histamine was markedly influenced. Exogenous epinephrine protected normal but not pertussis-sensitized or blocked mice from the synergistic effect of combined amines. The data suggested that a failure of low amounts of these amines to elicit the normal counterregulatory response (release of catecholamines) may be a major factor in the toxicity of histamine and serotonin combinations.

Footnotes

This investigation was supported by National Science Foundation Grant GB-5707.