Antibody Response of Mice Treated with 2-Mercaptoethyl-Guanidine Hydrobromide and Lethal Doses of X-Radiation, and its Significance to the Relation of Antigen to Host

Abstract

No important difference between sheep and rat agglutinin production was observed in normal and MEG mice. The sheep agglutinin response was higher than rat agglutinin response in the 475-r, 700-r, 950 r-IBM, and MEG-950 r mice. Such difference was based on the induction period of agglutinin response, peak agglutinin titer, and on the mean total agglutinin response. The rate of recovery of the immune mechanism of MEG-950 r mice was almost comparable to that of the 475-r mice. The rate of recovery of the immune mechanism of MEG-950 r mice was not significantly different from that of the 950 r-IBM mice. The results permit the deductions: that MEG protects predominantly nonantibody producing cells; that either multiple types of antibody producing cells exist or some antibody producing cell has the ability to recognize the difference between (a) homologous, (b) closely related heterologous and (c) distantly related heterologous antigens; and that the degree of destruction of antibody forming cells by x-irradiation is in the order mentioned.