ABSTRACT
A study is described in which tissue- and secretion-specific autosensitization was induced in adult male rabbits through intraabdominal cannulation of one or more of their central accessory glands. Both primary and secondary humoral antibodies were elicited by this procedure, as determined by tanned cell hemagglutination and passive hemolysis, i.e., complement fixation. The secondary antibody responses were elicited by (i) cannulation of animals which had been previously stimulated by cryosurgery or combined cryosurgery and injection of pooled accessory tissue extract, and (ii) isoinjection of previously cannulated animals with accessory tissue extract. Primary antibody responses were less in animals castrated at the time of cannulation compared to those in noncastrated animals; but, paradoxically, subsequent challenges with tissue extract induced higher secondary antibody titers in castrated animals. These observations may be explained in castrates by (i) reduced uptake of antibodies--a result of the sparing effect on circulating antibodies in castrated animals because of accessory tissue atrophy, or (ii) increased production of antibodies through postcastration immune enhancement. In noncastrates secondary antibody depression may be related to (i) increased absorption of antibodies by an accessory gland complex which is much larger than that found in castrates, or (ii) tolerance, due to exposure of the antibody-producing system to excess accessory tissue antigen.
PIP: Tissue- and secretion-specific autosensitization was produced in adult male rabbits by intraabdominal cannulation of 1 or more of the accessory sex glands. Tanned cell hemagglutination and passive hemolysis confirmed the presence of both primary and secondary humoral antibodies. The secondary antibody responses resulted from cannulation of animals which had been stimulated by cryosurgery alone or in combination with injection of pooled accessory extract tissue, and isoinjection of cannulated rabbits with accessory tissue extract. The primary antibody response elicited in rabbits castrated at the time of cannulation was less than that in noncastrated animals. However, the introduction of tissue extract produced higher titers of secondary antibodies in castrates than in noncastrated animals. In castrated animals, this may be due to either a reduced uptake of antibodies caused by atrophy of the accessory glands, or an increased production of antibodies which enhances the immune effect. In the case of noncastrated rabbits, this result may be explained by an increased absorption of antibodies by the accessory sex glands, or tolerance resulting from exposure of the antibody-producing system to excess antigens in accessory gland tissue.
