Experimental autoimmunity to rat male accessory glands (MAG): circulating antibodies, immunoglobulins bound to target glands, and immunoglobulins-secreting cells.
A correlation between spleen B-cell antibody production against MAG antigens and the presence of different antibodies in circulation or antibodies bound to target glands was attempted. The number of 7S and 19S Ig-secreting cells (ISC) found in the spleen and the number of ISC generated after in vitro stimulation of the cells with MAG antigens were evaluated by using the hemolytic plaque assay. Low numbers of 7S and 19S ISC--less than 0.01% of spleen cells--were generated in response to MAG immunization, and no significative increase was observed after in vitro culture of spleen cells with MAG antigens, suggesting that secretory activity of the B-cells can not be improved when liberated from humoral homeostatic mechanisms. The humoral response of MAG-immunized rats, investigated by complement fixation and immunodiffusion assays, has proved negative, and in only two out of 17 rats a weak haemagglutinating activity was observed. Attempts to detect antibodies bound to cellular MAG antigens by immunofluorescence have shown a weak fluorescence in the epithelial cells of the prostate gland in only two rats. In both cases a concomitant tissue damage was observed, but in nine out of 11 cases with histological alterations no fluorescence was observed in the target glands. The medium value of rosette-forming cells (RFC) found in the spleen of MAG-immunized rats did not significantly differ from the value of the HSA-treated control group, although both groups differ in their specific humoral response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007136:Immunoglobulins