Comparison of antigens in the ovary, oviduct and uterus of the rabbit and other mammalian species.

Abstract

Summary. Sheep antisera prepared against saline extracts of rabbit (Californian) ovary, oviduct and uterus were used to detect the presence of homologous antigens in the ovaries and reproductive tracts of the Dutch rabbit, New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit, guinea-pig, hamster, mouse and rat. Absorption of each antiserum with Californian rabbit plasma, kidney and spleen and the reaction of the absorbed antisera in immunodiffusion plates against the homologous antigen from each species produced the following results: (1) absorbed anti-ovary serum formed precipitin bands with two antigens in the ovaries of each of the breeds of rabbit while forming no bands when allowed to react with the ovaries of the other mammals tested; (2) absorbed anti-oviduct serum formed bands with six antigens in the oviducts of each of the rabbit breeds, two antigens in the mouse oviduct, one in the rat oviduct and formed no bands with the oviducal material from the guinea-pig and hamster; (3) absorbed anti-uterus serum formed bands with two antigens in the uterus of the NZW rabbit and one band with the uterine material from the Dutch rabbit and other species. None of the three absorbed antisera reacted with the sixteen non-reproductive tissues or testis preparations from each of the different species. These results demonstrated that antigens present in reproductive tissues of the Californian rabbit were also present in several other mammalian species.