SPECIFIC AND TOTAL IGE RESPONSES TO ANTIGENIC STIMULI IN BROWN-NORWAY, LEWIS AND SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (4) , 561-569
Abstract
Kinetics of primary and booster-specific and total Ig[immunoglobulin]E responses to distinct antigenic stimuli were studied in 2 inbred rat strains, Brown-Norway (BN) and Lewis, and 1 outbred, Sprague-Dawley (SD). The rats were immunized 3 or 4 times at intervals varying between 15-22 days by s.c. injections of 10 .mu.g ovalbumin, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) or bovine serum albumin (BSA) mixed with 10 mg aluminium hydroxide gel. IgE antibodies were measured in sera by PCA [passive cutaneous anaphylaxis] titers. High responses were obtained in BN rats (PCA titers about 10,000 after booster) and low responses in Lewis and SD rats. Positive booster responses were obtained in the 3 strains. Peritoneal mast cells collected from the 3 strains after immunization could degranulate on in vitro addition of specific antigen. BN mast cells were bad receptors while Lewis and SD mast cells were good receptors for in vitro passive sensitization by mouse IgE antibodies. Total serum IgE was assayed by an in vitro competitive inhibition bioassay (CIB). The values before immunization were higher in BN (1-4 .mu.g/ml) than in Lewis (< 0.25 .mu.g/ml) or SD rats (0.6 .mu.g/ml). After immunization, a striking increase could be observed in BN rats (up to 170 .mu.g/ml). There was no parallel between total IgE and IgE antibody levels at different times after immunization.