Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1950 May 1;91(5):505–526. doi: 10.1084/jem.91.5.505

EXPERIMENTAL HYPERSENSITIVITY IN THE RABBIT

EFFECT OF INHIBITION OF ANTIBODY FORMATION BY X-RADIATION AND NITROGEN MUSTARDS ON THE HISTOLOGIC AND SEROLOGIC SEQUENCES, AND ON THE BEHAVIOR OF SERUM COMPLEMENT, FOLLOWING SINGLE LARGE INJECTIONS OF FOREIGN PROTEINS

Louis Schwab 1, Frederick C Moll 1, Thomas Hall 1, Henry Brean 1, Marjorie Kirk 1, Clinton Van Zandt Hawn 1, Charles A Janeway 1; With the Technical Assistance of Miriam Ekdahl1
PMCID: PMC2135978  PMID: 15415506

Abstract

X-radiation and nitrogen mustard administration inhibit the formation of precipitins for whole bovine serum and bovine serum gamma globulin in the rabbit. When specific antibody formation is inhibited by these agents, intravenous injection of a single large dose of bovine serum gamma globulin is not usually followed by the development of tissue lesions 9 to 11 days later, as occurs fairly regularly in control animals. A fall in titre of serum complement to very low levels for 3 to 5 days is closely correlated in time with the disappearance of antigen from the circulation following the intravenous injection of single large doses of bovine serum albumin and bovine serum gamma globulin. A rise in complement titre to normal levels occurs as antibodies appear in the serum. This sudden fall in complement titre is correlated with the development of characteristic lesions, and does not occur when antibody formation is inhibited. The data presented are interpreted as evidence in favor of the concept that the lesions are due to a reaction between antigen fixed in or on tissue cells and circulating antibody. The possible significance of serum complement in the pathogenesis of anaphylactic tissue lesions is discussed.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.2 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BUKANTZ S. C., DAMMIN G. J. Inhibitory effect of nitrogen mustard (bis beta-chloroethyl amine) on lesions of experimental serum hypersensitiveness. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1949 Oct;72(1):21–26. doi: 10.3181/00379727-72-17319. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. DAMMIN G. J., BUKANTZ S. C. Modification of biologic response in experimental hypersensitivity. J Am Med Assoc. 1949 Feb 5;139(6):358–362. doi: 10.1001/jama.1949.02900230012004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. EHRICH W. E., SEIFTER J., FORMAN C. Experimental serum disease; a pathogenetic study. J Exp Med. 1949 Jan;89(1):23–36. doi: 10.1084/jem.89.1.23. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ecker E. E., Seifter S., Dozois T. F., Barr L. COMPLEMENT IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN MAN. J Clin Invest. 1946 Nov;25(6):800–808. doi: 10.1172/JCI101766. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gilman A., Philips F. S. The Biological Actions and Therapeutic Applications of the B-Chloroethyl Amines and Sulfides. Science. 1946 Apr 5;103(2675):409–436. doi: 10.1126/science.103.2675.409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hawn C. V., Janeway C. A. HISTOLOGICAL AND SEROLOGICAL SEQUENCES IN EXPERIMENTAL HYPERSENSITIVITY. J Exp Med. 1947 May 31;85(6):571–590. doi: 10.1084/jem.85.6.571. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Heidelberger M., Weil A. J., Treffers H. P. QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL STUDIES ON COMPLEMENT OR ALEXIN : II. THE INTERRELATION OF COMPLEMENT WITH ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY COMPOUNDS AND WITH SENSITIZED RED CELLS. J Exp Med. 1941 May 31;73(6):695–709. doi: 10.1084/jem.73.6.695. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kay C. F. THE MECHANISM BY WHICH EXPERIMENTAL NEPHRITIS IS PRODUCED IN RABBITS INJECTED WITH NEPHROTOXIC DUCK SERUM. J Exp Med. 1940 Oct 31;72(5):559–572. doi: 10.1084/jem.72.5.559. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lange K., Gold M. M., Weiner D., Simon V. AUTOANTIBODIES IN HUMAN GLOMERULONEPHRITIS. J Clin Invest. 1949 Jan;28(1):50–55. doi: 10.1172/JCI102052. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MORE R. H., WAUGH D. Diffuse glomerulonephritis produced in rabbits by massive injections of bovine serum gamma globulin. J Exp Med. 1949 May;89(5):541–554. doi: 10.1084/jem.89.5.541. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MORE R. H., WAUGH D., KOBERNICK S. D. Cardiac lesions produced in rabbits by massive injections of bovine serum gamma globulin. J Exp Med. 1949 May;89(5):555–560. doi: 10.1084/jem.89.5.555. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mayer M. M., Osler A. G., Bier O. G., Heidelberger M. THE ACTIVATING EFFECT OF MAGNESIUM AND OTHER CATIONS ON THE HEMOLYTIC FUNCTION OF COMPLEMENT. J Exp Med. 1946 Nov 30;84(6):535–548. doi: 10.1084/jem.84.6.535. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rutstein D. D., Walker W. H. COMPLEMENT ACTIVITY IN PNEUMONIA. J Clin Invest. 1942 May;21(3):347–352. doi: 10.1172/JCI101308. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Seifter S., Ecker E. E. COMPLEMENT AND ISOHEMAGGLUTININS IN URINARY PROTEINS. J Clin Invest. 1946 Nov;25(6):809–813. doi: 10.1172/JCI101767. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Simonds J. P., Jones H. M. The Effect of Injections of Benzol upon the Production of Antibodies. J Med Res. 1915 Nov;33(2):197–211. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Thomas L., Dingle J. H. INVESTIGATIONS OF MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION. III. THE BACTERICIDAL ACTION OF NORMAL AND IMMUNE SERA FOR THE MENINGOCOCCUS. J Clin Invest. 1943 May;22(3):375–385. doi: 10.1172/JCI101406. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Witebsky E., Neter E. PRIMARY SERUM TOXICITY AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE CHICKEN EMBRYO. J Exp Med. 1935 Mar 31;61(4):489–499. doi: 10.1084/jem.61.4.489. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES