Autosensitization by sperm in guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs injected intradermally with homologous sperm or testis in Freund's adjuvant developed the following manifestations of hypersensitivity: () histamine release from lung after treatment with antigen ; () Schultz-Dale reactions (occasionally); () antibodies capable of passive sensitization (passive sensitization demonstrated by histamine release); () antibodies immobilizing sperm in presence of complement; () skin reactions with an immediate and a delayed component. Autologous and homologous guinea-pig sperm or testis were equally active as antigens in producing histamine release from sensitized lung. Boar and rat sperm and guinea-pig kidney and brain were inactive. Although living sperm acted as an effective antigen its activity increased after freezing and thawing, when most of the activity was present in the supernatant. The antigen in sperm is stable at 56° but appreciable inactivation, increasing with time, occurs at 100°. Attempts to transmit the hypersensitivity by transference of lymph node cells into the skin of normal recipients have been unsuccessful. Some evidence was obtained that testis sensitized cells produce local reactions which are greater than those of normal cells. Fixation of antibody on the acrosomal portions of sperm was demonstrated by means of fluorescein tagged anti-globulin serum. The possibility is discussed that the antigenic activity of sperm may be due to a mucopolysaccharide.