PREFERENTIAL SYNTHESIS OF ASYMMETRIC ANTIBODIES IN RATS IMMUNIZED WITH PATERNAL PARTICULATE ANTIGENS - EFFECT ON PREGNANCY

The effect of immunization of female Fischer rats with particulate (spleen cells) (group I) or soluble (supernatant of disintegrated spleen cells) (group II) paternal antigens previous to mating with Buffalo rats was investigated. The percentage of asymmetric IgG molecules in the serum of rats inoculated with particulate antigens was 38% while in those injected with soluble antigens it was 29% and 28% in non-immunized animals. These percentages further increased during pregnancy to 45%, 38% and 37%, respectively. The antipaternal antibody titres, as determined by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), was much higher in the animals immunized with particulate antigens but the effector activity, judged by complement fixation, was similar in both groups. The same values were observed at the time of mating (after 3 months of immunization) and at day 17 of pregnancy. Fetus and placenta weights and offspring survival were equally greater in group I than in group II or non-immunized rats (group III). The results obtained indicate the preferential synthesis of antipaternal IgG asymmetric antibodies in rats injected with particulate antigens previous to mating and suggests a beneficial effect of these antibodies in pregnancy.