Adjuvant effects on poly I poly C in New Zealand mice

✍ Scribed by M. E. Jacobs; Dr. A. D. Steinberg; J. K. Gordon; N. Talal

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1972
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 423 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-3591
• DOI: 10.1002/art.1780150211

✦ Synopsis

The effects of polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (poly I.poly C), a known adjuvant, were studied in New Zealand and C57B1/6 mice, using sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) as antigens. The control C57B1/6 mice showed a 3.1 to 6.7 fold increase in plaque forming cells (PFC) to SRBC when poly I-poly C was given with the SRBC. The New Zealand mice (NZB/NZW F1 hybrids) showed very little increase in PFC with the poly I.poly C. These studies suggest that the New Zealand mice are already maximally stimulated to respond to SRBC and that additional adjuvant cannot augment their response.

NZB/NZW F, mice (B/W) spontaneously develop an autoimmune disease resembling systemic lupus erythematosus. Their disease is characterized by LE cells, antinuclear antibodies, and immune complex glomerulonephritis (1 -3).

Several investigators have demonstrated that B/W mice make excessive antibody responses to a variety of antigens, including sheep erythrocytes (4), bovine gamma globulin (5) and synthetic nucleic acids such as polyinosinic polycytidylic acid (poly I.poly C) (6). Furthermore, these mice spontaneously develop antibodies to double-stranded RNA and DNA, suggesting the presence of immunogenic nucleic acids in these mice (7).

Nucleic acids are not only antigens, they also

From the Arthritis and Rheumatism Branch, National