OBJECTIVETo establish a simple and feasible method of anaphylactoid test on awaked small animals for screening and assessing anaphylactoid reaction of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) injection with different concentration of tween 80.

METHODTest substances containing 0.4% Evans blue were intravenously injected into mice at volume of 20 mL x kg(-1) or guinea pigs at a volume of 30 mL x kg(-1). The behaviors were observed and the vascular permeability of ears evaluated by the extent of ear blue staining and absorbance of Evans blue extraction of ears were tested at 30 min after injection.

RESULTTween 80 solution, Yuxingcao injection with tween 80, and Shuanghuanglian powder injection obviously increased vascular permeability of ears characterized as ear blue staining and increased absorbance of the Evans blue extract from ears extracted by acetone saline both in mice and in guinea pigs in a concentration-dependent (in the case of tween 80) or a dose-dependent (Shuanghuanglian) manner.

CONCLUSIONEar vascular permeability test in mice and guinea pigs can be used as animal models to screen and test anaphylactoid reaction induced by injections.