Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-x24gv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-09T12:15:34.038Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of ACTH, cortisone, sphingomyelin, sphingosine and phenergan (antihistamine) in inhibiting the skin reaction in cattle sensitized to Trichomonas foetus antigen

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

W. R. Kerr  and
Muriel Robertson
W. R. Kerr
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Northern, Ireland.
Muriel Robertson
Affiliation:
Lister Institute, London.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

1. ACTH, cortisone, sphingomyelin and sphingosine produce a delayed in-hibition of the skin reaction in cattle sensitized to Trichomonas foetus antigen when they are injected intramuscularly. The inhibition is greatest 6–9 hr. after injection of the inhibitor, but may sometimes be further delayed. This reaction is associated with an absolute lymphopoenia of slightly variable duration.

N-acetylsphingosine retains the desensitizing effect of crude sphingomyelin and is of much the same potency as cortisone acetate of Merck.

2. The lymphopoenia associated with the injection of ACTH and cortisone occurs also with sphingosine, and these three substances are also alike in not producing the desensitizing effect until some hours after the injection.

3. Phenergan, a synthetic anti-histamine, has a different action, and its desensitizing effect which appears to depend on a direct antagonizing of the oedema-provoking substance resulting from the junction of antibody and antigen (hapten) takes effect apparently as soon as the injected drug itself is present at the site of the injection of the specific testing fluid.

4. Methods of testing the capacity of the hormones and drugs to prevent the skin reaction locally and to nullify the action of the in vitro antigen-antibody mixtures which can produce a reaction in normal animals are described.

Phenergan alone of the substances dealt with has any power to act locally. Phenergan mixed with the antigen-antiserum complex in vitro prevents the formation of the characteristic swelling in a normal animal.

Phenergan mixed with the specific testing fluid prevents the development of the skin reaction when the mixture is injected intradermally into a sensitive animal.

Cortisone and sphingosine do not have this action.

We are indebted to the Medical Research Council for supplies of ACTH and cortisone and to Sir Charles Harington for N-acetylsphingosine.

The personal encouragement of Prof. H. G. Lamont and the support afforded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Ireland, are gratefully acknowledged.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 50 , Issue 3 , September 1952 , pp. 354 - 375
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1952

References

REFERENCES

Cooke, R. A., Barnard, J. H., Hebald, S., & Stull, A. (1935). J. exp. Med. 62, 733.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fisher, N., Harington, C. & Long, D. A. (1951). Lancet. ii, 522.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeGroot, J. & Harris, G. W. (1950). J. Physiol. 3, 335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hills, G. A., Forsham, P. A. & Finch, C. A. (1948). J. Haematol. 3, 775.Google Scholar
Kerr, W. R. (1944). Vet. Rec. 56, 303.Google Scholar
Kerr, W. R. & Robertson, M. (1945). Vet. Rec. 57, 221.Google Scholar
Kerr, W. R. & Robertson, M. (1941). Vet. J. 97, 351.Google Scholar
Kerr, W. R. & Robertson, M. (1946). J. comp. Path. 56, 38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kerr, W. R., Mcgirr, J. L. & Robertson, M. (1949). J. comp. Path. 59, 135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levene, P. A. (1916). J. Biol. Chem. 24, 69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Long, D. A., Miles, A. A. & Perry, W. L. M. (1951). Lancet, i, 1085.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maunsell, K. (1946). Lancet, ii, 199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tompkins, E. (1946). Johns Hopk. Hosp. Bull. 78, 57.Google Scholar
Valentine, W. N., Craddock, C. G. & Lawrence, J. S. (1948). J. Haematol. 3, 792.Google Scholar
White, A. & Dougherty, T. F. (1946). Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 46, 859.CrossRefGoogle Scholar