Passive transfer of methacholine sensitivity from man to monkey.
A model of human allergic disease, in which nonhuman primates were infused with serum from allergic humans and challenged with appropriate antigen, was used to determine whether the animals also develop hyperreactive airways characteristic of asthma. Anesthetized monkeys were insufflated with increasing concentrations of methacholine aerosol, and changes in pulmonary function were measured. Airway reactivity as assessed by the dose of methacholine aerosol culminating in apnea was determined after infusion of serum from allergic or nonallergic humans or with heated allergic serum. A comparison of the results indicated that only infusion of unheated serum from allergic humans resulted in an increase in airway reactivity to aerosolized methacholine. These results suggest that a factor in the serum of allergic humans may play a role in the hyperreactivity of airways characteristic of asthma.
D000818:Animals; D001049:Apnea / Q000276:immunology; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008251:Macaca; D008688:Methacholine Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects*
D008688:Methacholine Compounds