Complete humoral immunosuppression of mice by rabbit anti-mu antibodies passing the murine placenta

J Immunol. 1977 Mar;118(3):1109-12.

Abstract

Female BALB/c mice were immunosuppressed with a series of neonatally initiated rabbit anti-mu serum injections, which eliminated serum IgM and greatly delayed production of antibodies against normal rabbit serum (anti-NRS). Females thus prepared maintained circulating anti-mu levels for several months. Study of the progeny from pregnancies completed during this maintenance period revealed that rabbit anti-mu antibodies readily cross the murine placenta but are not passed in murine colostrum at levels detectable by the technique used. Anti-NRS antibodies actively produced in NRS-injected control females do cross the placenta, but do so only irregularly and poorly; these antibodies may, however, be detected consistently at relatively low levels in colostrum. Suppression of humoral immunoglobulin synthesis in most mice prenatally exposed to anti-mu antibodies by transplacental passage appeared complete, even including loss of the remnant IgG levels which are consistently seen in mice first exposed to anti-mu at birth. The appearance of serum IgG and anti-NRS antibodies along with the complete absence of serum IgM in mice recovering from suppression suggests that active IgM synthesis and secretion may not be a prerequisite for the IgM to IgG "switch". Immune recovery occurred even in completely immunosuppressed mice after anti-mu injections were discontinued; the mechanism of recovery is not certain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic*
  • Antibody Formation
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic
  • Female
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains*
  • Immunoglobulin M*
  • Immunoglobulin mu-Chains*
  • Immunosuppression Therapy*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C / immunology*
  • Placenta / immunology
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy, Animal*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Immunoglobulin mu-Chains