PROTECTION AGAINST ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK BY GADOLINIUM CHLORIDE-INDUCED KUPFFER CELL BLOCKADE

Data in the literature concerning the role of Kupffer cells in anaphyl axis are contradictory. In the present study the effect of Kupffer cel l blockade induced by gadolinium chloride (GdCl3) on anaphylactic shoc k was investigated. Our observations show that GdCl3 prevents lethal a naphylactic shock in mice sensitized to ovalbumin. Gadolinium chloride given i.v. in a dose of 1 mg (100 g)(-1) body weight 24 or 48 h befor e the elicitation of anaphylactic shock resulted in 80% survival, comp ared with the 43% survival in the control group. The same dose of gado linium chlorde and also other rare earth metal salts, like lanthanum-, praseodymium-, neodymium-, and european chlorides given i.v., one day before the elicitation of anaphylactic shock, greatly reduced the mor tality in mice sensitized with ovalbumin and Bordatella pertussis vacc ine. However, gadolinium chloride given, per os, in a dose of 2 mg (10 0 g)(-1) body weight, one or two days before the elicitation of anaphy lactic shock were ineffective. Gadolinum chloride similarly abrogated the symptoms of anaphylaxis, including the accumulation of serotonin a nd histamine in the liver. The results suggest that Kupffer cells play an important role in mouse anaphylaxis.