On the mechanism of the allergic reaction in skeletal muscle

Abstract

In experiments on nonsensitized and sensitized dogs along with recording the contractions of the anterior tibial muscle during stimulation of the peroneal nerve the author studied the curare-like effect of diplacin before and after inoculation of an antigen (normal horse serum). Diplacin (0.2 mg/kg) and a resolving dose of the antigen (0.5 mg/kg) were introduced intra-arterially (femoral artery). In nonsensitized animals the extent of the curare-like effect of diplacin after inoculation of normal horse serum does not undergo any change. The effect of the diplacin before and after the resolving injection of the antigen to sensitized dogs was variable and depended upon the action of the resolving dose; viz: a) when the antigen administration caused and inhibition of muscular contractions (in most experiments), in indirect stimulation of the muscle the curare-like action of diplacin was more marked; b) when diplacin was introduced against the background of preliminary intensification of contraction prior to the inhibition, its effect was less pronounced.