Reduced primary antibody responses in a genetic animal model of depression
Abstract
Clinical depression is associated with multiple abnormalities of immune function, including reduced virus-specific responses. This study tested the hypothesis that the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rat, a promising genetic animal model of depression, would exhibit reductions in antigen-specific primary antibody responses to immunization. FSL (N = 13) and control Flinders Resistant Line (FRL; N = 14) rats were immunized with the protein antigen keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH; 300 microg/kg), and KLH-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)M, IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a responses were measured before and 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 days after immunization. In separate experiments, production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) by cells from naive and KLH-immunized animals was measured in vitro to determine whether strain differences in antibody production might be associated with differential production of this regulatory cytokine. KLH-specific production of IgM (p <.01) and IgG2a (p <.05) was significantly reduced in the FSL rats compared with the FRL controls. There were no strain differences in IgG or IgG1 production. Although IFN-gamma production between the two strains was similar in naive animals, cells from KLH-immunized FSL rats produced significantly ...Continue Reading
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Antibodies produced by B cells are highly specific for antigen as a result of random gene recombination and somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation. As the main effector of the humoral immune system, antibodies can neutralize foreign cells. Find the latest research on antibody specificity here.