Experimental myasthenia gravis is inhibited by receptor-antireceptor complexes.

Experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) induced in rabbits by immunisation with purified nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo marmorata is a highly reproducible model for the human disease. Pretreatment of experimental animals with immune complexes containing receptor and anti-receptor antibodies suppressed the subsequent induction of EAMG. Animals were protected from the normal severe paralysis. Moreover, antibody levels were reduced by synthesis of antibody rapidly terminated. Possible mechanisms are discussed.