Serum-mediated immunoresponses to spermatozoa.
Sixty male Lewis rats were immunized in groups of 10 by: (i) conventional vasectomy with ligation of the vas deferens; (ii) vasectomy without ligation of the vas deferens; (iii) sham vasectomy (control); (iv) subcutaneous injection of 10(9) allogeneic spermatozoa (from inbred BN rats) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA); (v) subcutaneous injection of 10(9) syngeneic spermatoza in CFA; (vi) subcutaneous injection of 10(9) syngeneic spleen cells in CFA (control). One in vivo and one in vitro assay for serum-mediated immunity were performed for each group of rats. The assays were: (i) 3-hr footpad swelling response to the injection of spermatozoa or spleen lymphocytes (Arthus response); and (ii) release of radioactivity from 51Cr-labeled spermatozoa or lymph node cells (cytotoxic antibody). A serum-mediated immunoresponsiveness specific to spermatozoa was observed in all experimental groups, except rats vasectomized without ligation of the vas deferens. Since the rats vasectomized by different methods bore similar size sperm granulomas, a pathologic explanation for the variance in immune response is not apparent. The specificity of the serum response to allogeneic (BN) spermatozoa in rats immunized with allogeneic spermatozoa is surprising, because spermatozoa probably carry histocompatibility antigens. Possible explanations for the patterns of immunoresponsiveness to spermatozoa are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014649:Vas Deferens; D014659:Vasectomy / Q000379:methods
D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens