VARIATION IN ANTISPERM ANTIBODY-RESPONSE FOLLOWING TRANSECTION OF MALE GENITAL-TRACT IN LEWIS RATS

Genital tracts of male Lewis rats were transected at various levels to determine whether this may influence antisperm antibody response. Adu lt male rats underwent bilateral transection of the vas deferens (grou p I, n = 9), mid-epididymis (group II, n = 10), and efferent duct (gro up III, n = 9). Group IV (n = 10) underwent a sham operation. Sera wer e collected by retro-orbital puncture before the operative procedure a nd monthly for 3 months postprocedure. Sperm-reactive immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, and IgM were measured individually as well as combined in se rum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using lithium diiodos alicylate (LIS)-solubilized washed rat caudal epididymal sperm. The ma ximal immune response was seen in all groups at 2 months postprocedure . Antibody response defined as the net ELISA absorbance reading for th e combined immunoglobulin group were (mean +/- SEM): group I = 120 +/- 16, group II = 156 +/- 23, group III = 190 +/- 20, and group IV - 116 +/- 22. The highest antibody response was noted in the efferent duct group, which was statistically (p < .05) greater than the sham-operate d and vas deferens groups. In the efferent duct group the highest immu noglobulin response was observed in the IgG class, which was significa ntly higher (p < .05) than the IgA and IgM classes. The transection of the male genital tract at different levels leads to variation in anti sperm antibody response and that sperm located at different sites alon g the genital tract may differ in their autoantigenic potential.