Airway responses to histamine and methocholine in Ascaris suum-allergic rhesus monkeys

We performed dose-response curves to inhaled histamine (H) and methacholine (MC) in a group of eight rhesus monkeys, with and without natural allergy to Ascaris suum antigen (AA). The animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, 25 mg/kg im and studied in a volume-displacement body plethysmograph. The dose of H or MC producing a 50% increase in pulmonary resistance (RL) was used to determine sensitivity to these agents and the increase in RL at a given dose was employed as a measure of reactivity. Sensitivity and reactivity to H and MC were then compared with AA responsiveness. A wide range of responses was observed but allergic animals were not more sensitive or reactive to H or MC than nonallergic animals. In addition, we studied the changes in breathing pattern that occurred during the inhalation of AA, H, and MC in four AA-sensitive animals. AA and H produced rapid shallow breathing within 30 s of starting inhalation, but MC, despite causing an equal degree of bronchoconstriction, did not produce alterations in breathing pattern.