Antibody Response of Lethally X-Irradiated Mice Treated with Rat Bone Marrow

Abstract

Mice receiving sublethal irradiation (710 r) responded better to sheep RBC antigens than to rat RBC antigens. Survival of lethally irradiated mice (950 r) injected with heterologous rat bone marrow was affected by caging conditions. As expressed by body weight and gross appearance, the recovery of lethally irradiated rat bone marrow treated mice was incomplete. Immunologically, the heterologously protected animals failed to respond to rat RBC antigens and responded weakly to sheep RBC antigens. The hypothesis of a delayed immunologic response of the host to the foreign transplanted tissue was tested in part. All mice receiving 710 r plus rat bone marrow died within 16 days after treatment, whereas all mice receiving 710 r plus isologous mouse bone marrow survived.