Influence of adrenalectomy and cortisone on the anaphylactic heart reaction in rabbits

1. 1. Adrenalectomized sensitized animals, kept alive with desoxycorticosterone acetate, which was withdrawn two days prior to anaphylactic reaction, manifested the anaphylactic heart reaction, precipitin titer, and Arthus skin reaction, upon exposure to sensitizing antigen without pronounced differences in intensity as compared to nonadrenalectomized rabbits. 2. 2. Cortisone in high dosage given during six hours prior to shocking antigen injection did not demonstrate any inhibitory effect on the intensity and the duration of the EKG changes following horse serum injection. 3. 3. In seven sensitized rabbits with daily treatment of cortisone, three demonstrated a reaction and four failed to manifest any noticeable EKG changes following antigen injection. This contrasts to the invariably occurring reaction in animals not treated with cortisone. Both the precipitin titer and the Arthus phenomenon were either inhibited or suppressed. All animals demonstrated the same typical pronounced granulocytopenia following the antigen injection.