Reaginic antibody production in ten inbred rat strains following immunization with ovalbumin.

Abstract

Time course of the production of reaginic antibody to ovalbumin (DA) wasassessed by 48-hr passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in 10 inbred rat strains (ACT, ALB, BUF, LE, LEW, NIG, Tokyo, WKA, WKS and W/Ms). The production of indirect hemagglu-tinating (IHA) antibodies was also examined. Immunization of the rat strqins with 0.1, 0.01 or 0.001 mg of DA resulted in a differentiation of the strains into high and low aswell as moderate responders in terms of the levels and duration of reaginic antibody pro-duction. Three strains, i.e., W/Ms, WKA and WKS, were high responders whose reaginproduction was persistent when immunized with 0.01 mg of DA. In contrast, ACT strainwas a low responder, producing less or no reaginic antibody following primary immuniza-tions. In NIG strains, a high titer reaginic antibody occurred shortly after immunizationbut did not persist. The data also suggested that ALB, BUF, LE and Tokyo strains wouldbe moderate responders. All rat strains examined produced the IHA antibodies followingimmunization with 0.1 or 0.01 mg of GA. The LEW, ACT and WKS rats, however, producedno IHA antibody after the primary immunization with 0.001 mg of DA and moreover, the latter two strains gave no IIIA antibody responses even when the secondary immuniza-tion was employed. Both ACT and LE strains could not switch over IgM to IgG antibodyproduction when immunized with 0.1 and 0.01 mg of DA, respectively. In the latter strain, no IgG antibody production could be induced even after the secondary immunization.These studies indicate that both high and low responders plus NIG strain would serveas a useful model for the evaluation of genetic factors involved in the production ofreaginic antibody.