Immunity to viral leukemia in rats and the routes of transmission from mother to offspring
Ioachim, H.L.; Keller, S.E.; Gimovsky, M.L.; Shepherd, S.
Cancer Research 33(3): 547-550
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-5472 PMID: 4570272 Document Number: 69947
Immmunized adult rats were given an injection of Gross leucaemia virus (GLV) and for foster nursing entire newborn litters were exchanged between immunized and nonimmunized mothers and all newborn rats were given lethal doses of GLV. Serum of normal nonimmunized rats of different ages was screened and compared with serum of immunized rats. In the 4 groups of newborn rats leucaemia developed in all 76 rats born of and nursed by nonimmunized mothers, in 12 of the 34 rats born of immunized and nursed by nonimmunized mothers, in 7 of the 63 rats born of nonimmunized and nursed by immunized mothers and in none of the 147 rats born of and nursed by their own immunized mothers. The protection against GLV induction of leucaemia transferred from mother to offspring was none, 65, 89 and 100%, respectively, in the 4 groups. It is concluded that transmission of passive immunity to GLV occurs before and after birth and that the greater effectiveness of transmission after birth may be related to the transfer of gamma A- and gamma G-immunoglobulins in colostrum and milk compared with transplacental passage of gamma G-immunoglobulin only.