title: Detection of intestinal flora-derived bacterial antigen complexes in splenic macrophages of rats.
abstract: We studied the presence of bacterial antigens in rat tissues. We produced a monoclonal antibody (MAb 2E9) directed against intestinal flora-derived peptidoglycan-polysaccharide complexes from human and rat feces. With several immunological techniques, the specificity of 2E9 for this bacterial product was demonstrated. Using 2E9 in an immunohistological assay, we were able to show the presence of bacterial products in macrophages in the red pulp of spleens of conventional Lewis rats. However, we found no correlation between the development of the intestinal flora and positive spleen staining with MAb 2E9. The results were confirmed by immunohistology with a previously described MAb 2-4 directed to muramyl dipeptide. Other lymphoid organs did not stain positively with 2E9 and 2-4. Neonatal and young rats showed no staining of the spleen, but positivity could be induced by injecting peptidoglycan-polysaccharide complexes systemically. We conclude that bacterial fragments are present in splenic macrophages of conventional rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kool
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Visser
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Gerrits-Boeye
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Klasen
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Melief
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Van Helden-Meeuwsen
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Van Lieshout
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ruseler-Van Embden
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Van den Berg
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Bahr
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005051:Eubacterium / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D011134:Polysaccharides