Immunoglobulin-deficient rats fail to develop experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.
Lewis rats were treated from day of birth with a rabbit anti-rat IgM antiserum. As adults these animals were found to have no detectable serum IgM and greatly reduced levels of IgG. They failed to respond to the B-cell mitogen LPS, or to make antibodies to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) or myelin basic protein (BP). These B-lymphocyte and immunoglobulin-deficient rats failed to develop clinical or histological evidence of EAE when sensitized with either whole spinal cord or purified BP. That some T-cell functions of these suppressed animals were not altered was seen by their ability to respond normally to PHA and to reject tissue allografts. The results would suggest that B-cell function (immunoglobulin-antibody production) is essential for the induction of EAE.
D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000276:immunology; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C016758:spinal cord protein, Bos taurus; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant