Physiology of Immunological Phenomena in Germfree Animals

摘要

Germfree rats were examined thoroughly for viral flora, and none was found. They were susceptible to Gross leukemia virus: they developed lymphatic leukemia, complement-fixing antibodies, and virus was recovered from them. Congenitally-transmitted viruses have been found in germfree mice (leukemia, mammary tumor, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis). The latter virus induces extensive immunoproliferative lesions in the viremic mice which resemble those of systemic lupus erythematosis in man. Specific antibodies were not detected in the viremic mice, but aggregations of globulins were detected in the occluded glomeruli of sick mice by staining frozen kidney sections with fluorescein-tagged antibody. The nature of host responses to antigenic stimuli were examined in germfree rats. The nature of natural flora was determined in germfree mice. The spleens, lymph nodes, and Peyer's patches of such mice were free of germinal zones and plasma cells. Following oral exposures to Streptococcus faecalis, no tissue changes or antibody were detected, but the organism was consistently recovered from the feces of the mice. Subsequent studies with other organisms of the 'normal' flora elicited the same results -- no symptoms, no antibodies, no tissue changes, continuous cohabitation with the host.