Different Origins of IgA Antibodies with Various Antigen Specificities Appearing in Rat Bile

Eight lactating and seven non-lactating female rats were immunized in Peyer's patches (Pp) with Escherichia coli 06 carrying type 1 pili. Eight days later the thoracic duct was drained and bile was collected at the same time. During the lymph drainage in the lactating rats, the biliary IgA anti-pili antibodies decreased less than the anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibodies. The non-lactating rats showed only a very small difference in decrease between the anti-pili and the anti-LPS antibodies. Transfer of mesenteric lymph node cells from male donor rats immunized with the E. coli strain to syngeneic male recipients resulted in the appearance of both IgA anti-pili and anti-LPS antibodies in the bile. This is at variance with the results seen in lactating rats, where only biliary IgA anti-LPS is seen after similar cell transfer. In conclusion, the study shows that in lactating rats a larger proportion of biliary IgA anti-pili antibodies than anti-LPS antibodies is derived from extraintestinal sites, such as the mammary glands or the liver. Thus, this study confirms that the nature of the antigen influences the transfer of the secretory antibody response to different secretions.