Passage of zona antibodies via placenta and milk following active immunization of female mice with porcine zonae pellucidae.

Female mice heteroimmunized with heat-solubilized porcine zonae produced a significant antibody response to this immunogen as measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) but their fertility was unaffected and normal litters were delivered. Monitoring for anti-zonae pellucidae activity in the sera of offspring from such immunized mothers by RIA indicated that the zonae antibodies were transferred from mother to young via the placenta and milk. Such transferred antibodies cross-reacted with and bound to the zonae of female offspring as demonstrated by immunofluorescent techniques. These data are significant to the future consideration of use of specific zona antigens for development of a contraceptive vaccine.