Interference of levamisole with Forssman shock.

The anti-helminthic drug levamisole has been used as an adjunct in the treatment of some immunologic defects including cancer. Recently, it has been shown that this drug inhibits thromboxane synthetase as well. Since Forssman shock in guinea pig is used as a model for pulmonary thromboembolism involving thromboxane A2, we studied the interference of levamisole with bronchoconstriction, thrombocytopenia, endothelial cells and pulmonary damage induced by Forssman antiserum. Levamisole inhibited dose-dependently the pathological changes produced by Forssman antiserum raising the possibility that levamisole may be effective for the treatment of pulmonary thromboembolism in man.