title: Hypogammaglobulinaemia in nephrotic rats is attributable to hypercatabolism of IgG.
abstract: The effect of the nephrotic syndrome induced by puromycin aminonucleoside (PA) in rats on specific antibody responses to 2,4 dinitrophenyl (DNP) conjugated to either spider crab haemocyanin (MSH), a T cell-dependent antigen, or hydroxyethyl starch (HES), a T cell-independent type 2 antigen were studied. The serum IgG anti-DNP levels following immunization with both antigens were reduced in nephrotic animals compared with controls while IgM anti-DNP antibody titres were higher. The half-life of IgG anti-DNP antibodies passively transferred into non-immunized nephrotic rats was markedly reduced while the half-life of anti-DNP antibodies of the IgM class was comparable to that in controls. Low serum IgG and elevated IgM levels were seen in nephrotic animals compared to controls. Antibody-forming cells specific for DNP were demonstrated by immunohistology on rat spleens and the numbers of both IgG and IgM-producing cells were found to be significantly increased (P less than 0.05) in nephrotic animals in response to both DNP-HES and DNP-MSH. These data indicate that in nephrotic rats the alteration seen in the serum immunoglobulin levels is not attributable to reduced antibody production but increased catabolism of serum IgG antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beaman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oldfield
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: MacLennan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adu
mesh_terms: D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology; D006207:Half-Life; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009402:Nephrosis, Lipoid / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology*; D011692:Puromycin Aminonucleoside; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011692:Puromycin Aminonucleoside