SUPPRESSION OF ALLERGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN RATS BY MEANS OF ANTIBRAIN SERUM

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Abstract
Rats develop allergic encephalomyelitis (AE) 2-3 weeks after sensitization to nervous tissue plus adjuvant. Gradual recovery is the rule and by 6-9 weeks after sensitization, the animals appear clinically well and microscopic lesions of AE have almost completely disappeared. Pooled serum collected from rats 3-6 weeks post sensitization and passively administered to rats actively sensitized to nervous tissue suppresses or prevents development of AE in the serum recipients. For example, only 3 of 48 serum treated rats developed clinical signs; 16 of 48 failed to develop any lesions of AE. In control rats, 23 of 44 became paralyzed and 43 of 44 developed lesions of AE. The data strongly suggest that the protective effect of antibrain serum is due to complement-fixing (CF) antibrain antibody. All serum pools with CF antibody suppress AE; those lacking CF antibody do not do so.