Abstract
IT is known that histamine liberators such as 48/80, egg white and dextran produce in rat skin œdema and capillary changes which lead to accumulation of circulating colloidal dye. These changes show a characteristic distribution and occur in skin regions, such as those of feet and face, which are particularly rich in histamine1. However, the part of histamine in these changes has been questioned. When discussing these changes it is necessary to deal separately with the œdema formation and the dye accumulation. The œdema is a sign of greatly increased capillary permeability. Concerning the accumulation of a circulating colloidal dye such as trypan blue, the present concept is that the dye is bound in the bloodstream to plasma proteins which penetrate the dilated capillary wall, moving through the dilated capillaries into the damaged area. The mechanism for this penetration is the phagocytic activity of the endothelial cells, histiocytes and fibriocytes which take up the proteins. The accumulation of circulating dye thus indicates an increased local phagocytic activity. The present experiments show that release of histamine is responsible for the œdema formation but that the accumulation of circulating dye is independent of histamine release.
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References
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GÖZSY, B., KÁTO, L. Œdema Formation in Rat's Skin. Nature 178, 1352 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1038/1781352a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1781352a0
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