Relative Effects of Various Agents on Complement and Antibody Production. I

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Abstract
Summary: The repeated injection of guinea pigs with ethionine or carbon tetrachloride in a dosage sufficient to produce chronic fatty degeneration of the parenchymal cells of the liver, brought about a definite decline in complement titer but did not significantly affect the development of agglutinative or complement-fixing activity in the serum in response to the injection of killed suspensions of Brucella abortus organisms. In rabbits, ethionine also reduced complement production but not that of antibody. Complement, antibody, and total serum-protein production were not reduced in rabbits or guinea pigs showing fatty infiltration of the liver resulting from a high-cholesterol diet. On the other hand, guinea pigs receiving repeated injections of gum-acacia solution showed reduced production of all three; antibody production was also reduced in similarly treated rabbits. These data indicate that the same agency may have a similar or relatively different effect on complement and antibody production in the same animal. This possibility should be considered therefore in evaluating the influence of any particular factor upon a state of immunity or resistance believed to be dependent upon the combined action of complement and antibody.