Immunization with cardiac myosin induced serious autoimmune giant cell myocarditis and heart failure in Lewis rats, which could be adoptively transferred by T-lymphocytes.
Does cardiac myosin immunization induce autoimmune giant cell myocarditis in animal models?
Cardiac myosin immunization establishes a robust experimental model of autoimmune giant cell myocarditis in Lewis rats, mediated by T-lymphocytes.
To identify a cardiac protein that could cause a serious autoimmune myocarditis, membranous proteins and myosin as antigens were investigated. In mice immunized with membranous proteins, the lesions induced were limited on the histological level. On the other hand, in Lewis rats immunized with cardiac myosin, serious myocarditis was induced. Every rat showed evidence of heart failure which was fatal in a few. Histology disclosed extensive cell infiltrates and myocardial necrosis. Among those lesions, giant cells were present. This myocarditis could be also transferred adoptively by lectin-activated spleen cells, T-lymphocytes, but not by IgG fraction. Thus, cardiac myosin can induce autoimmune giant cell myocarditis in Lewis rats.
Izumi et al. (Fri,) conducted a other in Autoimmune giant cell myocarditis. Cardiac myosin immunization vs. Membranous proteins immunization was evaluated on Induction of myocarditis. Immunization with cardiac myosin induced serious autoimmune giant cell myocarditis and heart failure in Lewis rats, which could be adoptively transferred by T-lymphocytes.