Immunological studies on adrenal glands. II. Immunization with adrenals of the same species

Abstract

Thirty-six guinea pigs were injected with a suspension of pooled guinea-pig adrenals incorporated into Freund adjuvants; twenty-two rabbits were immunized in a similar manner with rabbit adrenal suspensions.

Sera of twenty-six guinea pigs and twelve rabbits reacted in complement fixation and tanned cell haemagglutination tests with adrenal extracts but not with extracts of other organs. Potent antisera also produced one line reaction in double diffusion gel precipitation test with adrenal extracts.

The adrenal-specific antigen was thermolabile, possibly of protein character. Reactions of guinea-pig antisera were limited to guinea-pig adrenal; rabbit antisera reacted with adrenal of all tested mammalian species.

The serological reactions exhibited by antigens prepared from the antibody producer's own adrenal were as strong as those produced by adrenals of other animals of the same species. Additional evidence for auto-specificity of the antibody under investigation was obtained from the experiment in which a guinea pig injected with its own gland removed by left adrenalectomy formed adrenal antibodies.

Some but not all animals developed histological lesions in the adrenal gland. The interpretation of this observation was complicated by occasional positive histological findings in the adrenals of control animals.