Release of histamine from skin and muscle in the cat by opium alkaloids and other histamine liberators / by W. Feldberg and W.D.M. Paton.

  • Wilhelm Feldberg
Date:
[1951?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Release of histamine from skin and muscle in the cat by opium alkaloids and other histamine liberators / by W. Feldberg and W.D.M. Paton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    2/20 page 491
    Burroughs Wellcome as chloride. The atropine was used as sulphate, acetylcholine as chloride, and mepyramine as maleate (Anthisan, May and Baker). Perfusion of gastrocnemius muscle. The isolated muscle was perfused with Tyrode solution from a cannula tied into its artery, and the venous effluent collected from a venous cannula. The skin of the leg was cut from the popliteal region to the heel. The hamstring muscles were divided so that the knee joint could be hyperextended and the popliteal space made more accessible. All branches of the popliteal vessels not supplying the gastrocnemius muscle were then ligated and cut. The Achilles tendon was cut, the gastrocnemius separated from soleus and reflected upwards in order to ligate the vessels below the origin of the vessels to the gastrocnemius, after they have passed deep between the two heads of the muscle. The two heads were separated from the femoral condyles; the medial one was ligated, as near to its attachment as possible, and cut; the lateral one, having a tendinous attachment, could usually be detached without ligation by cutting through the cartilage. Care was taken to keep the muscle warm during the whole preparation and prevent it from drying by covering the muscle with cotton-wool soaked in warm paraffin. The arterial and venous cannulae were inserted only after the muscle had been detached; until this time its natural blood supply was maintained. The muscle was then transferred into a Petri dish filled with warm liquid paraffin, and the histamine liberators injected after the venous effluent had become free of blood and control samples had been collected. The perfusion pressure required for a flow of between 1 and 3 ml./min. was between 20 and 30 cm. saline solution. At the end of the perfusion, indian ink was injected through the artery to verify the extent of the perfusion. Apart from a small fascicle in the middle of the deep surface, the muscle was usually stained black throughout; occasionally the ink had penetrated only feebly to the distal parts of the muscle near the origin of the Achilles tendop. In a few experiments the non-perfused, or badly perfused, parts were dissected out and weighed; they never exceeded 15 % of the muscle weight. The volume of the muscle, in ml., was taken as equal to its weight in grams; this approximation overestimates the volume by about 7 %. Skin perfusion. Large cats weighing between 3 and 4-5 kg. were used. An area of skin from the right hindleg, supplied by the saphenous artery was perfused with Locke solution. After shaving and marking out the area of skin to be isolated, the skin was divided with a thermocautery by two incisions right round the leg, one about 4-6 cm. above the knee joint, the other about 2 cm. above the ankle. The two incisions were joined by a further incision along the lateral aspect. At the border of the lower, circular incision, the saphenous vein was tied and cut. The skin was then dissected off from the underlying muscles and fascia, starting from the longitudinal incision and working from both sides to the centre of the piece of skin where the saphenous artery and vein enter and leave it. Anastomostic vessels from the popliteal space, the gluteal region, and the lateral aspect of the ankle were ligatured and cut. In addition, a few smaller vessels penetrating the muscles required ligature. In order to prevent spasm of the saphenous artery, the preparation throughout the dissection was kept warm by radiant heat from a bowl fire, and drying of the inner surface of the dissected skin was prevented by repeated flooding with warmed liquid paraffin. The saphenous artery and vein up to the femoral vessels were carefully isolated. Because of the length of this vascular trunk, handling the saphenous vessels was avoided to prevent spasm, and the saphenous nerve was left undissected with the vessels so that it gave additional support and protection. A length of the femoral artery and vein, 2 cm. above and 1 cm. below the junction with the saphenous vessels, was dissected free by ligating and cutting all side vessels. The dissected patch of skin with its vessels still attached to the animal was packed in warm saline swabs and kept warm by radiant heat for 30-60 min. to allow any arterial spasm to pass before perfusion was started. For the perfusion the Locke solution passed from a reservoir whose heignt could be adjusted, through a hot water jacket near the injection cannula, to which it was connected by thick-walled rubber tubing through which the injeotions of the histamine liberators were made. A small, vertical side arm on the injection cannula served to trap any bubbles in the perfusion fluid. The
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3