Pregnancy and amyloidogenesis: I. Offspring of amyloidotic mice are not predisposed to develop amyloidosis

Amyloid enhancing factor (AEF) is a substance formed during amyloidogenesis that accelerates amyloid deposition in tissues, The administration of AEF followed by AgNO3 (inflammatory stimulus) to mice results in amyloidosis wi thin 6 days, The purpose of the study was to determine whether the offsprin g of amyloidotic mice are exposed to maternal AEF during pregnancy and ther efore become predisposed to the development of amyloidosis on inflammatory stimulus, To that end female mice were made amyloidotic by the administrati on of AEF and AgNO3, made pre-amyloidotic (a condition associated with self -generation of AEF) with a short course of casein, or treated with exogenou s AEF without AgNO3; then mating and conception took place, The possible pr iming of offspring with maternal AEF was studied by the administration of A gNO3 alone (without AEF) to the offspring and the determination of the pres ence of amyloid deposits in their spleens, Despite the long-term effect of AEF and its high activity, amyloidosis did not develop in any of the studie d offspring, implying that the newborn mice were not primed by maternal AEF , These findings suggest that amyloidotic mothers do not predispose their o ffspring to the risk of developing amyloidosis, probably because maternal A EF does not cross the placenta.