The effects of reserpine depletion of circulating vasoactive amines on rabbit serum sickness.

Serum sickness was induced in rabbits by i.v. injection of bovine serum albumin. Superimposed on this serum sickness the rabbits received 0·1 mg./kg. of reserpine. This treatment caused a profound drop in whole blood serotonin and histamine values. Despite the low blood serotonin and histamine, there was no change in the histological evidence for renal and heart damage. These observations suggest that these vasoactive amines do not play a major role in the vasculities and glomerulonephritis observed in serum sickness.