Autoantibody Production in Rabbits V. COMPARISON OF THE AUTOANTIBODY RESPONSE AFTER THE INJECTION OF RAT AND RABBIT LIVER AND BRAIN.

The injection of rat liver and rat brain in Freund's complete adjuvant into rabbits led to the production of complement fixing autoantibodies against rabbit tissue. The autoantibody response following the injection of rabbit liver and brain was much smaller. The autoantibody response to rat liver occurred even when Freund's incomplete adjuvant was used. The injection of rabbit liver in Freund's complete adjuvant into rabbits which had produced autoantibody after the injection of rat liver did not increase the level of autoantibody to rabbit liver. In most, but not all, rabbits the natural antibody found in the sera taken before immunization was destroyed by heating the sera at 65°. After immunization with rat liver in Freund's complete adjuvant the levels of serum antibody to rabbit liver stable at 56° rose by day 5; however, autoantibody stable at 65° was not detectable until between days 7 and 14. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]