Effects of Bordetella pertussis on the sensitivity of inbred mice to vasoactive amines

Pretreatment with Bordetella pertussis was determined to increase significantly the hypovolemia induced by intravenous injections of histamine either alone or in mixture with serotonin in a total of 26 different strains of mice. Two factors affecting the mortality rates observed by challenge after B. pertussis treatment were: the sensitivity of the strains to vasoactive amines before B. pertussis treatment, and their resistance to acute hypovolemic shock. Appropriate crosses and backcrosses between resistant and susceptible strains failed to demonstrate a clear pattern of inheritance of the susceptibility to B. pertussis effects.