Serum Inhibiting Factors in Anaphylactic Shock

Abstract

Previous investigations of proteolysis in organ extracts after anaphylactic shock have demonstrated that a heat-labile inhibiting factor, active against proteolysis, was present in normal guinea pig serum. This factor was greatly decreased during the sensitising phase and was completely absent from shock serum. It was also found that animals receiving green feed or exposed to infection during the sensitising phase showed a significantly weakened shock reaction upon the second administration of antigen. The following experiments have been carried out in order to investigate more closely the significance of the serum factor in inhibition of the course of shock.