Immune complex-induced enteropathy in the rat. I. Clinical and histological features.

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats injected with preformed rat anti-bovine serum albumin antibody-bovine serum albumin complexes prepared in fivefold antigen excess, developed intestinal lesions consisting of annular bands of serosal hyperemia alternating with nonhyperemic bands, causing a striped appearance. Histologically, vascular congestion and mucosal edema were observed; more severe lesions were accompanied by hemorrhage, epithelial necrosis and sloughing, and modest polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration. The lesions developed rapidly and were accompanied by hemoconcentration. A correlation between the dose of immune complexes injected and the intensity and extent of intestinal lesions was noted. The pathogenetic mechanism of the lesions was not determined. The similarity of the lesions to those observed in systemic anaphylaxis in the rat and experimental and clinical shock was cited. The implications of immune complex-induced enteropathy for studies of immune complex clearance by the mononuclear phagocyte system were considered.