Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) attenuates antibody binding in acute haemorrhagic immunopneumonitis in a rat model of complement-dependent lung injury.

Administration of rabbit anti-rat lung serum (PNTS) to rats produces a fulminant haemorrhagic pneumonitis sensitive to the availability of complement. The present experiments were undertaken to assess whether a high dose of IVIG can affect the development of this kind of cytotoxic reaction. The experimental design included groups of Wistar rats pretreated intravenously with physiologic saline, IVIG or a preparation of human F(ab')2 fragments. One hour later the animals were challenged with either saline or PNTS. At 30 min after challenge, blood was collected and the lungs were removed. Pulmonary damage was evaluated by light microscopy; C3 deposits and the binding of immunoglobulins to the alveolar septa were assayed by immunofluorescence. The serum complement activity of the classical and alternative pathways was estimated by a kinetic technique. Pretreatment with IVIG decreased binding of rabbit anti-lung antibodies to alveolar septa and prevented the deposition of C3. These results indicate that pretreatment with IVIG inhibits the binding of the pathogenic antibody to lung tissue. Human IgG binding was not detected in any animal. The protection against lung injury afforded by pretreatment with IVIG, in contrast to the pneumotoxic effect of PNTS observed in control animals, was evident despite the administration of F(ab')2 to the rats. Since pretreatment with F(ab')2 failed to prevent the acute lung lesion, our results indicate that the attenuation afforded by IVIG in this model of complement-dependent tissue injury seems to be related to the integrity of the IgG molecule.

Complement haemolytic activity (classical and alternative pathways), C3, C4 and factor B titres in healthy children.

Values of complement lytic activity of classical and alternative pathways, assessed by measuring the time required to lyse 50% of target red blood cells, and the concentration of complement components C3, C4 and factor B were estimated in the sera of 103 healthy children aged 3 to 14 y. Age-dependent variations were seen in the C3 and factor B concentrations, but not in C4, with the highest values found among 5-6-y-old children. Variations in classical and alternative lytic activity were not detected in this group of children, although the values are significantly different from our previously published data on adults, using the same kinetic assay (1). We also evaluated the relationship between the lytic activity of the classical (CPT) and alternative pathways (APT) and the levels of complement components. There were significant correlations between: APT and factor B, APT and C3, C3 and C4, C3 and factor B, and C4 and factor B concentrations. The normal ranges measured here can be used in the initial screening of Brazilian children presenting diseases involving the complement system. This study also contributes to a better understanding of the complement system ontogeny.

Serum haemolytic classical and alternative pathways of complement in infancy: age-related changes.

The haemolytic activity of complement was evaluated in the serum of healthy children from birth to 2 years of age using the kinetic method for the determination of the time needed to lyse 50% of target red cells (t 1/2). No sex-linked differences were observed in any of the age groups studied and the lowest lytic activity levels for both complement pathways were detected in neonates. The two pathways, however, showed different maturation patterns, i.e., lytic activity levels similar to those of adults were reached between the 1st and 3rd month of life (classical pathway) and around the 13th month (alternative pathway). In the age group of 7 to 24 months, the lytic activity of the classical pathway was higher than in adults. The present data permitted us to establish normal ranges of t 1/2 values for the classical and alternative pathways in serum of healthy neonates and children aged 1 to 24 months.

Influence of antigen charge in the pathogenicity of immune complexes in rats.

Immune complexes (IC) formed in the presence of excess antigen with native human anionic (AA) or cationic (CA) albumin and anti-human albumin rabbit gamma globulin were administered to 51 female Wistar rats. In animals injected with IC formed with CA, IC deposition in the renal glomeruli (glomerular capillary walls and mesangium) occurred as early as 5 min after injection. These animals also showed slight alterations in renal structure and albuminuria, whereas in the animals injected with IC formed with AA there was no IC deposition in the renal glomeruli nor any alteration in renal structure or albuminuria. The serum complement levels of animals injected with IC formed with CA were significantly lower than those observed in animals treated with similar doses of IC formed with AA. In vitro experiments also showed that the IC formed with CA fixed more complement than those formed with AA.

Anticomplementary fraction from the poisonous secretion of the paratoid gland of the toad (Bufo marinus paracnemis Lutz).

Fractionation of the poisonous secretion of the toad Bufo marinus paracnemis Lutz, by dialysis and chromatography on QAE-Sephadex, led to the isolation of a fraction which was adsorbed to the ion exchanger. This fraction, when incubated with human serum, yielded an anticomplementary effect that was evaluated by measuring the kinetics of lytic activity on sensitized sheep red cells (classical pathway) and unsensitized rabbit cells (alternative pathway).

Effect of urinary alkalinization on renal changes produced by cationic albumin.

40-mg doses of human cationic (CA) or anionic (AA) albumin were administered intravenously to 48 normal female rats. Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) was administered to 8 of these animals before CA or AA. Urine alkalinization caused increased renal CA excretion in CA-injected animals, which also showed marked reduction of the intensity of the renal changes produced by CA.

Effects of administration of cationic and native homologous albumin on the kidney.

Different doses of anionic and cationic albumin (CA) were administered intravenously to 29 normal unanesthetized female rats. Administration of 20 and 30 mg of CA produced an increase in urinary excretion of endogenous albumin. Urinary CA levels in the urine samples collected during the first 60 min after injection of 30 mg of CA were higher than anionic albumin levels. A marked increase in the number of endocytic vacuoles, large numbers of images suggesting fusion of vacuoles with lysosomes, extrusion of cell elements into the tubular lumen and tubule rupture were observed in the animals injected with CA. These results show that CA may produce changes in proteinuria and in renal structure.