Influence of low environmental temperature on systemic anaphylaxis in mice.

Abstract

The effect of cold-exposure on the response of sensitized mice to BSA-pertussis was studied. Animals were given two sensitizing injections of a mixture of alum-precipitated BSA and pertussis cells. They were challenged one week later with a saline solution of BSA plus pertussis cells. The proportion of deaths was greater among controls than among cold-exposed animals, 82% vs 38%, and the mean survival time was shorter in controls than in cold-exposed animals, 15 ± 2 vs 75 hours. Serum samples, obtained after the sensitizing injections and just prior to the administration of the challenge injection were tested in agglutination tests with tanned erythrocytes coated with BSA. There was no difference in circulating antibody levels between cold-exposed animals (mean titre 26 ± 6) and controls (mean titre 20 ± 4). Injections at 22d` ± 2d`C of unsensitized mice with pertussis alone did not produce any deaths among animals previously exposed to cold for 6 weeks nor among control animals.