Development of airway hyperreactivity in the guinea-pig following allergic reactions.

It has been reported previously that acute allergic reactions in the anaesthetized guinea-pig do not evoke changed airway reactivity to histamine, animals sensitized to ovalbumin in aluminum hydroxide and exposed to allergen intravenously or by inhalation develop increased responsivity to histamine that persists for several hours. Animals that have been sensitized passively, by intravenous injection of antibody and exposed to allergen by intravenous injection, or which receive freshly prepared immune complexes by intravenous injection develop comparable airway reactivity.