[Effectiveness and mechanism of action of isoprenaline sulfate and clemastine hydrogen fumarate on histamine wheal-induced pruritus. A placebo-controlled proband study].

Abstract

In order to investigate the effect of a gel containing isoprenaline and a gel containing clemastine hydrogen fumarate on histamine-induced skin reactions compared with placebo, a histamine solution was injected intradermally in four given fields on the backs of 12 healthy volunteers 15 min and 60 min after application of the gel preparations. The study was controlled by a non-treated field on the volunteers' backs. The main points of interest in this study included the size of the erythema reaction, the capillary blood flow and onset and intensity of itching. With respect to the size of the erythema reaction, both clemastine hydrogen fumarate and isoprenaline proved more effective than placebo in most cases. This superiority was, in some cases, statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences between the gel preparations for the other parameters investigated. Clemastine hydrogen fumarate is regarded as a classical antihistamine, whereas a possible effect on the superficial circulation of the skin is being discussed for isoprenaline.