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The Relation of the Dose of Antigen to the Degree of Anaphylactic Shock in Dogs

From the Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Medical School

Abstract

The term anaphylaxis means absence of protection and thus expresses recognition of the fact that the sensitivity of the animal is more important than the toxicity of the antigen in determining the occurrence of a reaction. This view is appreciated by every one when contrasting the behavior of sensitized animals with that of normal animals. It is not, however, so generally appreciated in comparing one sensitized animal with another. For example, there are many published reports in which investigators have studied the prophylactic effect of various agents by sensitizing a series of animals, ascertaining a "fatal dose" of antigen in a small group of control animals, and determining whether or not some of the treated animals could withstand a larger dose of antigen. The rationale of such experiments imputes a toxicity to the antigen, which should be expressed by a positive correlation between the severity of the anaphylactic reaction and the dose of the injected antigen, such as is the case for the lethal action of directly poisonous agents.