ovalbumin and Orchitis

Pretreatment of guinea pigs with homologous testicular antigen (TA) in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) markedly reduced both the incidence and severity of experimental allergic orchitis (EAO) when animals were subsequently challenged with TA in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and examined at 2 weeks after challenge. The pretreatment rendered lymph node lymphocytes, particularly T cells, specifically unresponsive to the subsequent orchitogenic challenge as judged by antigen-induced in vitro lymphocyte proliferative response and blastogenic factor production, whereas antisperm antibody formation was not affected. The suppression induced was of a transitory nature, lasting 3 weeks after orchitogenic challenge, but between 4 and 5 weeks after challenge the development of EAO and aspermatogenesis became evident in parallel with the restoration of cellular immune responsiveness. Cyclophosphamide treatment 3 days before orchitogenic challenge abolished the preventive effect of pretreatment with TA in IFA. Transfer of serum obtained from pretreated animals failed to prevent actively sensitized recipients from developing EAO, which does not favor a possible occurrence of serum blocking factors in protected animals.

Topics: Animals; Antigens; Antispermatogenic Agents; Autoantibodies; Cyclophosphamide; Freund's Adjuvant; Guinea Pigs; Hemocyanins; Immunity, Cellular; Immunization, Passive; Immunosuppressive Agents; Male; Orchitis; Ovalbumin; Spermatozoa; Testis; Time Factors

The effects of antigenic competition between ovalbumin and sperm autoantigens have been studied in guinea pigs. There was an inhibition of antiovalbumin antibody production up to 60 days after immunization. The cell-mediated immunity against ovalbumin was also depressed at day 30. The simultaneous immunization with both antigens has no effect upon the humoral and cell-mediated immunity against spermatozoa. During the period of inhibition of the humoral and cell-mediated antiovalbumin response, the number of animals developing autoimmune aspermatogenic orchitis was diminished compared to those immunized with spermatozoa alone. Later on, there was no difference between the two groups. The transient inhibition of the immune response against ovalbumin can be explained by the particulate nature of the autoantigens. The sperm cells may be easily trapped by the dendritic reticular cells of the draining lymph nodes. This in turn could affect T cell recognition at early stages, orienting it predominantly toward the sperm autoantigens. At day 90 the situation returned to that present in animals immunized with ovalbumin alone.

Topics: Animals; Antibody Formation; Antigen-Antibody Reactions; Autoimmune Diseases; Cell Migration Inhibition; Guinea Pigs; Immunity, Cellular; Immunization; Lymphocyte Activation; Macrophages; Male; Orchitis; Ovalbumin; Spermatozoa; Testis

Groups of male and female guinea-pigs were immunized with homologous epdidymal sperm in Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) and skin tested at weekly intervals with a heat-treated extract of the sperm or with PPD. In females, the skin response to both antigens was similar to that to any standard protein antigen. In males, the response to sperm extract varied with the induced auto-immune orchitis, reaching a maximum immediately after testis lesion was most severe and as recovery was beginning (shown histologically): the response to PPD was decreased at 1 week after immunization, but subsequently was similar to that in females. Skin tests on guinea-pigs 8 months after bilateral vasectomy (when both ends of vasa were ligated), showed no evidence of delayed hypersensitivity to sperm, although there was marked histological evidence of reduced spermatognesis, due to back pressure atrophy.. The skin response in guinea pigs at various times after immunization with epididymal sperm in Freund's complete adjuvant is reported. Findings were correlated with the progression of the autoimmune orchitis. Also, possible skin reactivity to sperm extract at 8 months after bilateral vasectomies in which both ends of the vasa had been ligated was investigated. The histological changes in the testes at 5 months postvasectomy were studied. Epididymal sperm was obtained by flushing out the vas and epididymis of mature guinea pigs. The dried epididymal sperm was used for immunization, dissolved or suspended in PBS. For skin testing, a heat-treated extract of the sperm (BES) was used. The methods of preparing reagents is described. The skin reactions to BES and to a purified protein derivative (PPD) in females were similar to those of any standard protein antigen. In males, this reaction resembled that in females at 1 week after immunization but later was different. Induration and erythema were greater in females (p less than .001) from 2 weeks on. The response of males to PPD was less than in females at 1 week but at 2 weeks was the same. Males immunized with purified ovalbumin responded to PPD similarly to females. After 8 months, following vasectomy, the response to BES at 24 hours was similar to that of controls. Testes weighed at 1 week after immunization were increased, possibly due to edema, but after the 3rd week weight was decreased. Histology of the testes after immunization showed cellular infiltration after 2 weeks and disappearance of spermatogenic elements from the seminiferous tubules. Evidence of delayed hypersensitivity to sperm was not shown.

Topics: Animals; Epididymis; Female; Guinea Pigs; Hypersensitivity, Delayed; Immunization; Male; Orchitis; Organ Size; Ovalbumin; Skin Tests; Spermatogenesis; Spermatozoa; Temperature; Testis; Tuberculin; Vasectomy