title: Depression of T cell-mediated immunity and enhancement of autoantibody production by natural infection with microorganisms in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).
abstract: We studied the effects of breeding conditions on the development of immunological abnormalities in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with congenital T cell depression. The depression of T cell functions, the production of natural thymocytotoxic autoantibody (NTA), and the development of polyarteritis nodosa were more evident in SHR reared under a conventional (CV) environment than in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) SHR bred in a semi-barrier system. Enhancement of these immunologic abnormalities was also observed by the conventionalization of SPF-SHR. A high frequency of antibodies to mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), Sendai virus, and Mycoplasma pulmonis was detected in CV rat sera, whereas no antibodies were detected in SPF-SHR. The experimental infection of Sendai virus induced the enhancement of T cell depression and of NTA production in SPF-SHR. We interpret these results to mean that the natural infection of microorganisms causes an acceleration of immunologic abnormalities in SHR reared in a CV environment.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Institute, Hokkaido University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeichi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D001323:Autoantibodies