SUBCUTANEOUS REACTION OF RABBITS TO HORSE SERUM

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Veterinary Medicine

Background:

• Anaphylaxis and allergy are hypersensitivity reactions.
• Horse serum has been used in various medical applications, necessitating understanding of potential adverse reactions in animal models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a reliable method for proving anaphylaxis or allergy in rabbits against horse serum.
• To characterize the timeline and nature of the allergic response and related immunological markers.

Main Methods:

• Intradermal injection of undiluted horse serum into shaved rabbit skin (abdomen or flank).
• Observation of local skin reactions, including swelling, redness, and heat, over 12-36 hours.
• Monitoring for the development of systemic allergy (anaphylaxis) and the presence of precipitins in blood.

Main Results:

• The subcutaneous test reliably demonstrates anaphylaxis/allergy, with reactions appearing 12-24 hours post-injection and peaking at 24-36 hours.
• Allergy (altered reactivity) typically develops 10-15 days after initial horse serum exposure and persists for at least three months.
• The appearance of precipitins in the blood correlates with the allergic state; no evidence of anti-anaphylaxis was found, and offspring did not show enhanced allergy.

Conclusions:

• The intradermal subcutaneous test is an effective method for diagnosing horse serum allergy in rabbits.
• The study details the temporal development of anaphylaxis and associated immunological changes in rabbits.
• No evidence of anti-anaphylaxis or transgenerational allergy enhancement was observed in this rabbit model.