Contractile responses to histamine of isolated pulmonary artery strips from healthy and heartworm-infected dogs.

Pulmonary artery strips from control and Dirofilaria immitis-infected dogs were tested for isometric contractile response to histamine, carbamylcholine, and norepinephrine. The strips from D immitis-positive dogs showed diminished response to histamine; a smaller percentage of the strips contracted, and the magnitude of the contraction was less than the response of the control strips to the highest concentration used. Carbamylcholine caused virtually no contractile effect in either group. Norepinephrine contracted all strips, even those not responding to histamine. A role for histamine in the pathogenesis of the pulmonary arterial lesions associated with dirofilariasis is presented.