Early Rheumatoid-Like Lesions in Rabbits Injected with Foreign Serum: Relationship to Localization of Immune Complexes in the Lining Tissues of Joints and Cellular Content of Synovial Fluid

Abstract

Immune complex localization in joint tissues and white cell effusion into the joint space as well as synovial lesions are shown to occur in rabbits injected intravenously with bovine serum. Synovial lesions of one knee were found to be associated with immune complexes in joint tissues of the contralateral knee (because of the experimental design very few rabbits had both immunofluorescence and histology performed on the same joint). There was also a week correlation between moderate and gross synovial lesions and cellular effusions of the same joint. Cartilage proteoglycan depletion was seen in some injected animals and this was related to lining cell hyperplasia. Rabbits from different breeding colonies displayed different incidences of lesions suggesting an environmental or genetic influence on the development of rheumatoid-like lesions.

Early Rheumatoid-Like Joint Lesions in Rabbits Drinking Cows’ Milk

“…Rabbits injected intravenously with bov ine serum according to certain regimens de velop synovial lesions which, in their histopathology, resemble those found in rheuma toid disease [Poole and Coombs, 1977;Poole et al" 1978). In a further report [Old ham and Coombs, 1980] a small group of 3 rabbits was injected repeatedly with bovine milk instead of with bovine serum and only 1 out of these New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits developed mild joint lesions.…”

Early Rheumatoid-Like Joint Lesions in Rabbits Injected with Foreign Serum or Milk Proteins

“…We have previously reported that rabbits injected intravenously with bovine serum develop rheumatoid-like joint lesions [Poole and Coombs, 1977], More recently we have shown these rabbits to have immune com plexes deposited in joint tissues and to have white cell effusions in the joint space [Poole et al, 1978], In these experiments only a percentage of those animals injected, devel oped lesions, and these lesions were of a moderate nature only. It was felt that if this deposition of complexes in the joint tissues could be enhanced, then the percentage of animals developing lesions and the intensity of the lesions might be increased.…”

“…Histological and joint fluid studies were as de scribed previously [Poole and Coombs, 1977;Poole et al 1978],…”

“…Following our previous study [Poole et al, 1978], showing differences in the sus ceptibility to induction of joint lesions in different colonies of rabbits, we have now expanded this to five further breeds of rab bit. These animals were all injected intrave nously with bovine serum, firstly with a large injection (5 ml/kg) and then subse quently challenged with four smaller (2-4 ml/rabbit) injections.…”

Early Rheumatoid-Like Joint Lesions in Rabbits Injected with Foreign Serum

“…Histological and joint fluid studies were as de scribed previously [Poole and Coombs, 1977;Poole et al, 1978]. Joint lesions were scored on a 0 to + + + + scale, depending on the joint tissue changes (see footnote to table I).…”