THE INFLUENCE OF THE GONADS AND ADRENAL GLANDS ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO SKIN GRAFTS

Abstract

Summary The congenic strain pair C57BL/10Sn and BIO-129 (12M) differ from one another at the histocompatibility-12 (H-12) locus. Earlier work has shown that in this strain pair females reject allografts more consistently and more rapidly than males. This study is concerned with the effects of gonadectomy and adrenalectomy on the rejection by preimmunized B10-129(12M) mice of C57BL/10Sn skin allotransplants. Immunized unoperated or sham operated females showed, as expected, a higher per cent of rejections and a shorter rejection time than the comparable male group. Oonadectomy, adrenalectomy, and combined orchiectomy-adrenalectomy substantially increased the strength of rejection of males and, to a lesser extent, the strength of rejection of females. Adrenaleetomizcd and gonadectomized- adrenalectomized males and females showed essentially similar rejection patterns. Following gonadectomy alone, the per cent of rejections by females was higher than the corresponding male group, but the rejection rate was slower. Transplanting testes into oophorcctomized females had a greater effect than transplanting ovaries into orchiectomized males. Oophorectomized females with transplanted testes showed a significantly smaller rejection per cent than oophorectomized females without transplants. In contrast, orchiectomized males receiving transplanted ovaries showed a per cent of rejection not significantly different from orchiectomized males without transplants, although the rejection pattern of the rejecting portion was significantly slower than that of the male orehieetomy group