Specific and total IgE responses to antigenic stimuli in Brown-Norway, Lewis and Sprague-Dawley rats.

Kinetics of primary and booster-specific and total IgE responses to distinct antigenic stimuli were studied in two inbred rat strains, Brown-Norway (BN) and Lewis, and one outbred, Sprague-Dawley (SD). The rats were immunized three or four times at intervals varying between 15 and 22 days by subcutaneous injections of 10 microgram ovalbumin, keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) or bovine serum albumin (BSA) mixed with 10 mg aluminium hydroxide gel. IgE antibodies were measured in sera by PCA titres. High responses were obtained in BN rats (PCA titres about 10,000 after booster) and low responses in Lewis and SD rats. Positive booster responses were obtained in the three strains. Peritoneal mast cells collected from the three strains after immunization could degranulate on in vitro addition of specific antigen. In contrast, BN mast cells were bad receptors while Lewis and SD mast cells were good receptors for in vitro passive sensitization by mouse IgE antibodies. Total serum IgE was assayed by an in vitro competitive inhibition bioassay (CIB). The values before immunization were higher in BN (1-4 microgram/ml) than in Lewis (less than 0.25 microgram/ml) or SD rats (0.6 microgram/ml). After immunization, a striking increase could be observed in BN rats (up to 170 microgram/ml). There was no parallel between total IgE and IgE antibody levels at different times after immunization.