title: Production of autoantibodies against DNA and collagen after inoculation of rabbits with Trypanosoma equiperdum.
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the induction of autoantibodies in rabbits after the inoculation with Trypanosoma equiperdum. Eight female rabbits were inoculated s.c. with 5 x 10(6) parasites of Trypanosoma equiperdum. Four of these animals were treated with Diminazen (Berenil) at a dosage of 28 mg per rabbit by intramuscular injection 35 days p. i. Two additional non-infected rabbits served as negative controls. 9 days p.i. all infected animals possessed serum antibodies against Typanosoma equiperdum. Titers peaked to 1:2048, measured between 14 and 30 days p.i. and were persistent until the end of examinations. In parallel, there was an increase of anti-dsDNA and anti-collagen autoantibodies, but not of autoantibodies against recombinant U1RNP and La antigens. In comparison to patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, the anti-DNA binding of rabbit's sera was reduced more strongly in presence of increasing salt concentrations. In addition, the sera of inoculated rabbits recognized several unknown bands of a cell extract in immunoblotting. The parallel increase of antibodies against Trypanosoma, control foreign antigens, DNA and collagen suggests a polyclonal stimulation of the immune system. It was concluded that this rabbit model seems to be sufficient to investigate the mechanisms which are able to induce autoimmune phenomena.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Parasitologie und Tropenveterinärmedizin, Freien Universität Berlin.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hiepe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jungnitz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiepe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D003094:Collagen / Q000276:immunology*; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D011817:Rabbits; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D001323:Autoantibodies; D003094:Collagen; D004247:DNA