Prevention of experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis and experimental autoimmune pinealitis in (Lewis x Brown-Norway) F1 rats by HgCl2 injections.
Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) induces in Brown-Norway (BN) and (Lewis x Brown-Norway) F1 hybrid rats a transient autoimmune disease characterized by the production of various antibodies to self and non-self antigens and by a dramatic increase of serum IgE. Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) can be induced in Lewis (LEW) and (LEW x BN) F1 hybrid rats by a single immunization with retinal S-antigen (S-Ag). Besides uveoretinitis, animals immunized with S-Ag develop an autoimmune pinealitis (EAP). We demonstrate in this study that (LEW x BN) F1 hybrid rats, injected with HgCl2 7 days before S-Ag immunization, are quite efficiently protected against EAU and EAP. We also show that HgCl2-induced protection is neither due to a cytotoxic effect of HgCl2 nor to CD8+ T-cell dependent mechanisms nor to the HgCl2-induced increase of serum IgE concentration. The role of other hypothetical mechanisms, such as anti-S-Ag anti-idiotypic antibodies and/or HgCl2-induced unbalance between T-helper cell subsets, is discussed.
Saoudi
A
A
INSERM U28, Hôpital Broussais, Paris, France.
Bellon
B
B
de Kozak
Y
Y
Kuhn
J
J
Vial
M C
MC
Thillaye
B
B
Druet
P
P
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D019393:Arrestin; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000276:immunology*; D010870:Pineal Gland; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012173:Retinitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014605:Uveitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control
D000941:Antigens; D019393:Arrestin; D005136:Eye Proteins; D008627:Mercuric Chloride