Experimental Glomerulonephritis Induced with the Major Antigen of Rat Kidney

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Abstract
The major antigen of rat kidney (KMA) isolated in an immunochemically purified form was injected into homologous rats at 2-week intervals during 42 weeks. Circulating antibodies against KMA were constantly found in the sera of all immunized animals after 4 months of KMA treatment. Marked proteinuria accompanied by a significant increase in the serum γ-globulin level occurred only several months after the appearance of circulating antibodies. Histological examinations of the KMA-treated rat kidney revealed mild but definite glomerular lesions of the membranous, non-proliferative type. Rat γ-globulin was found as a mixed, linear and granular, deposit along the basement membranes and the mesangial regions. However, rat β1C-globulin was found as an exclusively granular deposit in the same areas, but more intensively in the mesangium. The acid elution of KMA-treated rat kidney contained γ-globulin which reacted with KMA. As compared with Edgington’s nephritogenic tubular antigen RTE-α5, KMA was found to be completely different. However, it was also localized exclusively in the proximal tubular cells. Its presence in normal rat serum and liver has been suggested as a source of autologous immunogens in the long-term development of an autoimmune complex nephritis in the rat.

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