Studies of the pathogenetic role of humoral antibodies reacting with subcellular organ antigens. II. Passive immunization of rats with anti-rat rabbit immune sera.

Immunizing injections of rat liver and kidney mitochondrial fractions were administered to rabbits, and the effects of injecting the antisera into rats were investigated. Rats receiving antiserum to rat liver mitochondria showed impaired clearance of sulphobromphthalein, and developed hepatic fibrosis which in one animal progressed to cirrhosis. There was no increase in albuminuria and the kidneys showed no histological differences from those of control rats receiving normal rabbit serum. Renal changes were virtually confined to rats receiving antiserum to rat kidney mitochondria: these animals excreted increased amounts of protein and showed increased cellularity of the glomeruli, tubular casts and hydropic changes in the tubular epithelium. The significance of these findings is discussed.