Acute systemic anaphylaxis in adult domestic fowl--possible role of vasoactive lipids and peptides.

Bovine albumin (BA: 2 mg/kg-1, i.v.) produced a fall in systemic arterial blood pressure accompanied by central venous hypertension and bradycardia in pentobarbital-anaesthetized, spontaneously breathing, bovine albumin-sensitized adult domestic fowl. Trasylol (a potent inhibitor of kallikreins) suppressed acute systemic anaphylaxis. Polyphloretin phosphate (an effective antagonist of PGF2alpha) also inhibited the cardiovascular responses to antigen and PGF2alpha. Sodium meclofenamate and phenylbutazone showed varying degree of blockade of cardiovascular responses to exogenously administered chemical mediators (bradykinik, PGF2alpha, SRS-A and to a lesser extent of histamine, 5-HT and acetylcholine) and antigen. Indomethacin (virtually devoid of receptor blocking activities toward exogenously injected chemical mediators) inhibited anaphylaxis. The results of this investigation strongly suggested an important role of vasoactive lipids and polypeptides in avian anaphylaxis.