title: Kinetics of IgE antibody response to trichosanthin alpha-momorcharin and beta-momorcharin in mice.
abstract: Allergenicity of three plant abortifacient proteins, trichosanthin (TCS), alpha-momorcharin (alpha-MMC) and beta-momorcharin (beta-MMC) and the kinetics of IgE antibody response against these proteins were studied in C57BL/6N and BALB/cAn mice. These proteins were purified from Chinese medicinal herbs, characterized by biochemical and immunological procedures and found to be homogeneous by PAGE, SDS-PAGE and immunoelectrophoresis. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1) different levels of IgE antibody responses against TCS, alpha-MMC and beta-MMC were induced when they were injected i.p. as antigen adsorbed onto AI(OH)3 gel into BALB/cAn or C57BL/6N mice on day 0 and day 28; 2) the allergenicity of the proteins was in the order of beta-MMC greater than alpha-MMC greater than TCS; 3) two injections of 10 micrograms or 50 micrograms of TCS or alpha-MMC given at 4 weeks interval without adjuvant elicited a low or undetectable PCA titer, while the same dose given weekly for 5 weeks resulted in high levels of IgE production; and 4) on the basis of PCA observations, no cross immunological reactivity among these three proteins was found, it seemed to support that TCS, alpha-MMC and beta-MMC may be alternately used for inducing abortion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, WHO Collaborating Centre for Immunological Research, Beijing.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Wai
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Hin
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010323:Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; D054788:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins; D015978:Trichosanthin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D015978:Trichosanthin; C039582:MMC protein, Momordica charantia; D054788:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins