Extracellular release of rat eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) I. Role of anaphylactic immunoglobulins

The release of intracellular peroxidase (EPO) was investigated in order to evaluate rat eosinophil activation by various immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes. After successive incubations with purified rat IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG2c, IgE, or IgM and their respective anti-Ig antisera, eosinophils released significant amounts of EPO (up to 26% of the intracellular content) only in the case of Ig with anaphylactic activities (IgG2a and IgE). Other classes and subclasses were unable to induce EPO exocytosis. Selective depletion and reconstitution experiments suggested that mast cells were not required in this process. Similar levels of EPO could be released after interaction of eosinophils with antigen-antibody complexes (IgG2a monoclonal antibody and Schistosoma mansoni antigen) immobilized on nonphagocytosable surfaces. These results indicate that EPO exocytosis can be obtained after cell activation with specific antibodies, and that this mechanism is independent of phagocytosis. A kinetic study of eosinophils from S. mansoni-infected rats revealed that IgG2a and IgE cytophilic antibodies induced EPO release after incubation with either specific antisera or specific antigen, which suggests the in vivo relevance of such findings. The present work underlines the parallelism of interaction of anaphylactic-type Ig with eosinophils and with mast cells. Moreover, EPO release seems to represent an interesting marker of eosinophil activation, because close relationships were established between the present findings and previous work on the effector function of rat eosinophils.

Possible involvement of terminal complement complex in active Heymann nephritis

We investigated whether the appearance of various complement components in renal deposits of immune complexes correlated with the development of proteinuria in rats with active Heymann nephritis. Sequential kidney biopsy specimens and serum samples were obtained from Lewis rats immunized with Fx1A in complete Freund's adjuvant. Circulating antibodies against purified auto-antigen renal tubular epithelial glycoprotein, as measured by ELISA, were found in the circulation together with a diffuse granular deposition of IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b in the glomeruli within 2 weeks after immunization. Biopsy specimens taken 4 weeks after immunization showed diffuse deposition of C4 and C3, which indicated that activation of complement by the classical pathway had occurred. The detection of the C5b-9 complex of complement in glomerular deposits coincided with the development of abnormal proteinuria indicating that the glomerular damage in this autoimmune disease may be caused by complement-mediated lesions in the glomerular capillary walls.

Genetic factors in non-specific bronchial reactivity in rats

Two bronchoconstrictory agents, serotonin (5 HT) and carbachol, were investigated in different inbred rat strains in order to delineate possible factors influencing the bronchial reactivity. The challenge was given intravenously and a single dose was given to an individual animal. Inbred strains of rats differed significantly from each other in their reactivity to 5 HT and to carbachol. IC rats were good reactors to both 5 HT and carbachol. RA rats were intermediate reactors to both agents. OM/N rats had a good reaction to 5 HT, but showed only a minor bronchoconstriction after carbachol. BN and LE rats were poor reactors to both agents. The strain reactivities to the 2 provocation agents were not related. Breeding studies, using a good reactor, IC, and a poor reactor, DA strain, showed that the bronchial reactivity to 5 HT was inherited with a pattern that fitted with the autosomal recessive way of inheritance, high reactivity being recessive.

Effect of aging on the hepatobiliary transport of dimeric immunoglobulin A in the male Fischer rat

Recent studies have suggested that the hepatobiliary transport of serum dimeric immunoglobulin A constitutes an important secretory route for this ligand. However, the information that is currently available has been accumulated from studies in young animals or in patients with liver disease. Aging is known to result in (a) reduced hepatobiliary function(s), (b) an increased incidence of gastrointestinal infectious diseases, and (c) a marked decline in the immune response. We evaluated the effect of aging on the in vivo hepatic capacity to transport dimeric immunoglobulin A from blood to bile. Young adult rats (3-4 mo) secreted 125I-labeled dimeric immunoglobulin A into the bile at a rate sixfold greater than that measured in either mature (12 mo) or senescent (24-25 mo) animals. This age-related decline appears to be relatively independent of bile flow and bile acid secretion. Quantitative light and electron microscopic autoradiographic evidence suggests that aging may impair the rate at which this ligand is translocated across the hepatocytes to the bile canaliculi.

B-cell production and differentiation in adult rats

The B-cell development in a group of rats was suppressed for the first 45 days of life by serial administration of rabbit anti-rat IgM and IgD antibody. Total or near total suppression of B lymphopoiesis was achieved. At 45 days, suppression was stopped by injection of IgM and IgD rat paraproteins. The sequence of B-cell and plasma cell development following suppression was assessed by immunohistological analysis of spleen lymph nodes and small intestinal lamina propria. The main findings are listed below. Complete reconstitution of B-cell numbers occurs within 8 days, at which stage germinal centres are also present. B lymphopoiesis in the red pulp of the spleen differs from that reported for bone marrow. Cells develop expressing surface sIgM and sIgM with IgA, but not sIgD. sIgD-positive cells first appear in splenic follicles 2 days after stopping suppression, but their appearance in lymph nodes is delayed until after 3 days. At this stage, sIgD-positive cells become apparent in the splenic red pulp. IgM plasma cells appear from day 4. IgA plasma cells in the gut appear in small numbers at day 6, and gradually increase to normal numbers by day 14. sIgG2c expression in the splenic marginal zone did not approach normal levels, even 2 weeks after suppression was stopped.

Modulatory effects of Freund's adjuvant treatment on mast cell histamine release and homocytotropic antibody synthesis

The present study examines the influence of Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) injections on sensitized PVG rats with respect to serum levels of IgE and IgG2 alpha antibodies and total IgE (all assessed by radioimmunoassays) and the capacity of serosal mast cells to release histamine on challenge in vitro with 'immunological' secretagogues (specific antigen, anti-IgE, concanavalin A) or with compound 48/80. The rats were immunized with 10 micrograms ovalbumin (OA); alum, Bordetella pertussis vaccine, or silica gel were employed as adjuvants. Treatment with FCA was performed by single intraperitoneal injections 3, 2, or 1 week(s) before or 1 or 2 weeks after sensitization. Tests were conducted 3 weeks after sensitization. The results show that the effect of FCA treatment varied reproducibly with the adjuvant employed for sensitization and with the timing of the FCA administration. FCA treatment could either increase, fail to affect, or decrease total serum IgE and OA-IgG2 alpha antibody levels as well as serosal mast cell responsiveness, whereas OA-IgE antibody responses were decreased or not affected. Moreover, serum levels of OA-IgE and OA-IgG2 alpha antibodies and total IgE were affected by FCA treatment independently of each other. Finally, serosal mast cell responsiveness to a given secretagogue could be influenced by the FCA treatment apparently independently of that to other secretagogues. A salient finding was that effects of FCA treatment on mast cell responsiveness did not necessarily conform to effects on antibody synthesis. Collectively, these data support the opinion that the mechanisms of action of the IgE-promoting adjuvants employed differ and suggest that the expression of serosal mast cell responsiveness to each examined secretagogue can be regulated separately. They also suggest that the serosal mast cell sensitizing capacity of homocytotropic antibodies may not be adequately quantified by immunochemical methods employing reagents prepared against IgE and IgG2 alpha protein.

The rapid rejection of allogeneic lymphocytes by a non-adaptive, cell-mediated mechanism (NK activity)

The fate of allogeneic lymphocytes (AO or DA) transferred to non-immune PVG recipients was studied in the light of previous evidence (Heslop & McNeilage, 1983; Rolstad & Ford, 1983) that allogeneic lymphocytes can be rapidly destroyed in certain strain combinations of rats and mice by a mechanism that is distinct from either T-cell mediated immunity or an alloantibody response. AO lymphocytes injected into PVG recipients were discriminated from syngeneic lymphocytes within 15-30 min of i.v. injection, as testified by the excess release of 51Cr into the lymph plasma of the recipient. The following experiments were intended to distinguish between natural antibody and natural killer (NK) cells as the mechanism responsible for the allogeneic lymphocyte cytotoxicity (ALC) displayed by PVG rats. Nude rats treated from birth with anti-mu chain serum and shown to be lacking B and T lymphocytes, as well as being profoundly deficient in immunoglobulin, displayed more aggressive ALC than did control nude rats which, in turn, showed stronger ALC than did euthymic rats. Serum from PVG nude rats exerted no inhibitory or destructive effect on allogeneic lymphocytes in an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity system, an assay of graft-versus-host activity, or when injected into 3-4-week-old PVG rats which had not yet developed ALC. Treatment of nude rats with anti-asialo GM 1 antiserum depressed ALC and NK activity in parallel, thus adding to a wide range of circumstances in which ALC and NK activity are closely correlated. In conclusion, ALC is implemented by a non-adaptive, cell-mediated mechanism independent of immunoglobulin, but the precise identity of the effector cell in the recipients' lymphatic tissues remains to be settled.

In vivo kinetics and nature of rat IgE-bearing lymphocytes after IgE stimulation

Surface IgE-bearing (sIgE+) cells were studied in BN and rnu/rnu athymic rats after Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection or i.p. injection of unpurified or purified IgE from plasmacytoma ascitic fluid. The number of sIgE+ cells increased markedly after a serum IgE increase without change in the proportion of sIgM+ and sIgD+ cells. A high percentage of the sIgE+ cells bore cytophilic IgE. Receptors for IgE were induced with a 2.56-micrograms IgE injection/100 g body weight and reached a maximum with 1.6 mg IgE/100 g body weight. They appeared less than 4 hr after a single injection of purified IgE. The number of IgE receptor-bearing cells reached a maximum plateau at 24 hr to day 3 after injection and declined thereafter, to reach the control level on day 9 or 11 after injection. Nearly all the sIgE+ cells of BN rats also bore sIgD, but the number of triple sIgE-sIgM-sIgD+ cells varied in a wide range. Maximum 4.5% of the sIgE+ cells of euthymic rats were T cells. More than 98% of the sIgE+ cells of nude rats were triple sIgM-sIgD-sIgE+ cells, and the majority were cytophilic IgE+. For the most part, the sIgM-sIgD-sIgE+ cells are probably not cells that can differentiate, as generally accepted, in IgE-producing cells. New interpretations of the role of these triple sIgM-sIgD-sIgE+ cells in IgE immune responses are necessary.

Production of monoclonal anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies during autoimmune glomerulonephritis

Monoclonal anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibodies were obtained by fusing spleen cells from Brown-Norway (BN) rats injected with mercuric chloride with IR 983 F, a nonsecreting rat myeloma cell line. These antibodies showed the same pattern of fixation on renal basement membranes by indirect immunofluorescence. One of them was developed. It reacted both in vivo and in vitro with GBM but failed to react with collagenase-digested GBM, laminin, and collagen IV. This monoclonal antibody which resembles the kidney acid eluate obtained from BN rats injected with mercuric chloride induced a weak and transient proteinuria when intravenously injected into normal BN rats.

In vivo kinetics and nature of rat IgE-bearing lymphocytes after IgE stimulation

Surface IgE-bearing (sIgE+) cells were studied in BN and rnu/rnu athymic rats after Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection or i.p. injection of unpurified or purified IgE from plasmacytoma ascitic fluid. The number of sIgE+ cells increased markedly after a serum IgE increase without change in the proportion of sIgM+ and sIgD+ cells. A high percentage of the sIgE+ cells bore cytophilic IgE. Receptors for IgE were induced with a 2.56-micrograms IgE injection/100 g body weight and reached a maximum with 1.6 mg IgE/100 g body weight. They appeared less than 4 hr after a single injection of purified IgE. The number of IgE receptor-bearing cells reached a maximum plateau at 24 hr to day 3 after injection and declined thereafter, to reach the control level on day 9 or 11 after injection. Nearly all the sIgE+ cells of BN rats also bore sIgD, but the number of triple sIgE-sIgM-sIgD+ cells varied in a wide range. Maximum 4.5% of the sIgE+ cells of euthymic rats were T cells. More than 98% of the sIgE+ cells of nude rats were triple sIgM-sIgD-sIgE+ cells, and the majority were cytophilic IgE+. For the most part, the sIgM-sIgD-sIgE+ cells are probably not cells that can differentiate, as generally accepted, in IgE-producing cells. New interpretations of the role of these triple sIgM-sIgD-sIgE+ cells in IgE immune responses are necessary.

Regulation of Fc mu receptor-mediated functions of resident and provoked peritoneal macrophages

Modifying and/or regulating effects on Fc mu receptor (R) mediated phagocytic and ADCC activity of both resident (r) and provoked (p) peritoneal macrophages (PM) was studied applying drugs affecting the cytoskeleton and cation transport. In addition, the effects of exogenous PGE2 and cyclic nucleotides were also examined. Fc mu-receptors appear to be functionally less significant in provoked PMs than in resident ones since both Fc mu-receptor mediated phagocytosis and ADCC were lower in the formers. The cytoskeletal system is important in the regulation of both Fc mu-receptor-mediated functions. Phagocytosis through Fc mu-receptor is decreased by Cytochalasin B and by Vinblastine treatment, whereas ADCC is enhanced by Cytochalasin B. Extracellular PGE2 and cAMP induced a higher phagocytic activity and suppressed ADCC, whereas cGMP displayed an opposite effect. The sensitivity of Fc mu R-mediated activities to ionophoric and to cytoskeleton-damaging drugs was lower in provoked than in resident PMs. In addition, the regulatory role of PGE2 and of cyclic nucleotides on the same activities was less marked on provoked PMs. In contrast, ouabain inhibits Fc mu R-dependent antigen incorporation and ADCC on provoked PM monolayers only. These findings suggest differing regulatory mechanisms for Fc mu R-mediated functions in provoked PMs as compared with resident ones.

The specific IgM response in rats genetically selected for high or low serum IgM level

The IgM response to SRBC in a line of rats selected for high serum IgM was higher and lasted longer than that in a line of rats selected for low IgM, while the response to TNP-LPS was similar at its peak in the two lines but persisted longer in the 'high' line. The difference between the lines is therefore more likely to be at the macrophage and/or the T cell level than at the B cell level.

Macrophage triggering by aggregated immunoglobulins. II. Comparison of IgE and IgG aggregates or immune complexes

Macrophages incubated with complexed or aggregated IgE released beta-glucuronidase (beta-G) within 30 min. In contrast in the presence of aggregated or complexed IgG, macrophages liberated equivalent amount of beta-G only after 6 h incubation. In addition the rapid macrophage stimulation induced by aggregated IgE was also followed by a faster 3H-glucosamine incorporation when compared to the delayed activation caused by aggregated IgG. However, macrophages stimulated either by IgG or by IgE oligomers produced the same percentage of plasminogen activator at 24 h. In contrast, while the interaction between macrophages and aggregated IgE was only followed by a peak of cyclic GMP and a beta-G release during the first 30 min of incubation, the interaction between macrophages and IgG oligomers was accompanied by a simultaneous increase of cyclic GMP and AMP nucleotides and by an absence of beta-G exocytosis. Moreover, the beta-G release induced by aggregated IgE was increased when macrophages were preincubated with aggregated IgG. This additive effect was not observed in the reverse situation. Finally macrophages activated by IgG oligomers were demonstrated to exert a cytotoxic effect on tumour cells and to kill schistosomula in the presence of a low level of complement. Taken together these results underline the peculiar ability of aggregated or complexed IgE to trigger rapidly the macrophage activation compared to aggregated IgG and can explain the important role of complexed IgE in some macrophage dependent cytotoxicity mechanisms (i.e. in parasitic diseases).

Rat monoclonal antibodies. II. A rapid and efficient method of purification from ascitic fluid or serum

A technique for purifying rat monoclonal antibodies from ascitic fluid or serum is described which is based on 2 facts. First, approximately 95% of rat immunoglobulin light chains are of the kappa type. Second, an allotypy in the rat species is located on the constant part of the kappa light chain. By use of a mouse monoclonal antibody with specific binding affinity for the Ig kappa-1a allotype on the kappa light chains of the LOU inbred rat strain, it is possible with immunoaffinity chromatography to isolate LOU Ig kappa-1a-bearing immunoglobulins from the serum proteins, including the immunoglobulins, of rats of Ig kappa-1b allotype. LOU histocompatible hybridomas synthesizing the Ig kappa-1a allotype can be transplanted into rats congenic with the LOU inbred strain carrying the Ig kappa-1b allotype, since LOU rats with the Ig kappa-1a kappa light chain allotype and congenic LOU Ig kappa-1b rats with the Ig kappa-1b kappa light chain allotype are fully histocompatible. The serum or ascitic fluid of the recipients is applied to an immunoabsorbent column to which mouse monoclonal antibody against the Ig kappa-1a allotype is coupled. The serum proteins, including the host immunoglobulins pass through the column. An appropriate buffer is used to elute the monoclonal antibodies in a second step. The same technique may be employed for other monoclonal antibodies. A reciprocal system using mouse monoclonal antibodies against Ig kappa-1b rat allotype can be used, a plasmacytoma or hybridoma synthesizing Ig kappa-1b kappa light chain being transplanted into an Ig kappa-1a kappa light chain synthesizing rat. The method is rapid, efficient and inexpensive. Its limitation is with respect to lambda-type monoclonal antibodies, which are relatively rare.

Suppressive effects of anti-mu serum on the development of collagen arthritis in rats

Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained in environmentally isolated conditions and some of them were injected beginning at birth with rabbit anti-mu serum to suppress B-cell maturation. All rats were subsequently immunized with chick type II collagen. Ten (28%) of 36 rats injected with anti-mu antiserum failed to develop serum hemagglutinating antibodies to collagen, and there was a significant (P less than 0.0003) reduction in the IgG-specific antibody titer to collagen in these 10 rats compared to the other 26 rats in this group. Only 1 (10%) of the antibody-suppressed rats developed arthritis compared to 20 (77%) of the 26 other rats in the anti-mu-treated group (P less than 0.001). Twenty-two (61%) of 36 immunized rats administered rabbit anti-ovalbumin serum and 14 (88%) of 16 immunized rats kept in the axenic conditions developed arthritis. Delayed-type hypersensitivity to collagen did not differ significantly between the groups. These data provide indirect evidence that antibodies play a role in the inception of collagen arthritis.

Immunohistological observations on the spleen B lymphocyte populations from whole-body irradiated rats

The effects of a single exposure to caesium gamma rays administered to rats at high dose rate have been observed on their spleen B lymphocyte populations. These effects increase with the dose as well as with the time, at least within the following ranges of experimental conditions: from 0 to 12 Gy and observation times of 1 and 3 days after irradiation. Doses less than or equal to 1.50 Gy lead to only a slight reduction of the B lymphocyte populations. On the contrary, doses equal to or greater than 3.50 Gy are extremely destructive for the spleen B lymphocytes. The non-circulating B lymphocyte population of the marginal zone compartment seems more susceptible to ionizing radiations than the circulating B lymphocyte population of the follicular compartment.

Differential reduction of the inter-chain disulfide bonds of rat immunoglobulin E: relation to biological activity

Monoclonal rat IgE was reduced over a range of dithiothreitol (DTT) concns. The number of disulfide bonds reduced and their location in the IgE molecule were studied. One millimolar DTT was found to split the two inter-heavy-chain disulfide bonds of the C epsilon 2 domain while increasing DTT concn to 10 mM split the two inter-heavy-light-chain disulfide bridges. Therefore, the sensitivities to reduction of disulfide bonds in rat IgE were found to be the opposite of those in human IgE. In addition, the results indicated the absence, in rat IgE, of the intra-epsilon-chain labile disulfide bond of the C epsilon 1 domain, which is reduced by 2 mM DTT in human IgE. Circular dichroism studies showed significant modifications, mainly of tertiary structure, for rat IgE reduced with 10 mM DTT, but not for IgE reduced with 1 mM DTT. The ability to block passive sensitization with reaginic antibody was not modified when IgE was reduced with 1 mM DTT (which split the two inter-heavy-chain disulfide bonds), but was lost when inter-heavy-light-chain bridges were reduced with 10 mM DTT. In addition, a non-covalent epsilon-chain dimer was found to have the same blocking activity as native IgE (or IgE reduced with 1 mM DTT). Therefore, the results suggest that reduction of most or all the inter-chain disulfide bonds, in rat as in human IgE, induces changes in quaternary structure, more especially in the relationship between the Fab and Fc parts of the molecule, leading to steric blockade, by Fab, of the binding sites for mast cells present on Fc.

Rat monoclonal antibodies. I. Rapid purification from in vitro culture supernatants

A technique for purifying rat monoclonal antibodies quickly and efficiently from in vitro culture supernatants is described. It is based on the fact that more than 95% of rat immunoglobulins carry kappa light chains. A mouse monoclonal antibody with suitable binding affinity for rat kappa light chains is immobilized on solid support and used to purify rat immunoglobulins. Milligrams of rat monoclonal antibodies may be rapidly concentrated from culture supernatants with high recovery. Rat monoclonal antibodies expressing lambda light chains (about 5% of the total) may be purified in a similar way with an appropriate anti-rat lambda chain monoclonal antibody.