The effect of desferrioxamine on antigen-induced inflammation in the rat air pouch

The effect of desferrioxamine, a relatively specific iron chelating drug, has been examined in an allergic air pouch model of inflammation in the rat. The model has both an acute and chronic phase and allows quantitative measurements of the cellular and exudative response within the pouch fluid and the tissue response in the membrane that develops around the preformed cavity. Desferrioxamine given as a single bolus injection, directly into the cavity, stimulated the acute inflammatory phase, increasing both the exudative and leukocyte response, in a dose-dependent fashion. In marked contrast, repeated injections during the acute to chronic phase or during the established chronic reaction, led to a reduction in both leukocyte numbers within the cavity and the amount of granulation tissue surrounding it. The exudative response was, however, unaltered. These results are discussed in relation to the potential role of iron in promoting an acute and chronic inflammatory reaction.