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Normal and splenectomized rats were injected by the intravenous route with small amounts of soluble antigen (egg albumin) or particulate antigen (toad red cells) plus Bordetella pertussis vaccine and bled at various times afterwards. The reaginic antibody was assayed by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis using a 72-hour period between antibody and antigen injection and the haemolytic antibody by determining the highest dilution of serum giving complete lysis in presence of complement. It was observed that although splenectomized animals responded with a very much diminished production of haemolytic antibody their production of reaginic antibody was very similar to that of the non-splenectomized animals. It is suggested that the spleen plays little or no role in the production of rat reaginic antibody. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse passive cutaneous anaphylaxis experiments were performed in guinea pigs with rabbit gamma globulin and human gamma globulin as antigens and horse, sheep or hen sera containing antibodies against these antigens. These antibodies were unable to directly sensitize the guinea-pig skin but when the reverse technique was used, namely, the antigen (gamma globulin) was injected before the antibody, characteristic anaphylactic reactions were obtained. It is concluded that, if a suitable antigen is used, which can be fixed to the host by the reverse technique, sera from species which cannot directly sensitize the guinea pig can nevertheless give typical anaphylactic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]