Abstract
IgE synthesis has been reported to be inhibited by theophylline and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate and increased by pertussis vaccine. This study was done to determine if chronic β-adrenergic blockade affects IgE antibody production. 72 C57BL/10J mice were sensitized with egg albumin (EA, 125 μg). Groups included: (1) EA alone; (2) EA + complete Freund's adjuvant (FA); (3) EA + B. pertussis (8 x 10
9 organisms); (4) EA + propranolol (0.5 mg/kg) 3 times/day; (5) EA + FA + propranolol; (6) saline alone. Booster was given on day 49. Group 1, given EA alone, failed to develop any passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) antibodies even after booster, whereas the 72-hour PCA titers ranged from 1/64 to 1/256 for groups treated with propranolol and propranolol + FA, respectively. The results suggest that chronic β-adrenergic blockade enhances IgE antibody formation.