Immunological Reactivity of Lymphocytes in Multiparous Females after Strain Specific Matings

IT is now established that multiple interstrain matings may change the immunological reactivity of the female towards the foreign isoantigens of the mating male. This altered reactivity of post-partum females has been investigated in transplantation as well as serological experiments. The results of the two modes of investigation are, however, contradictory. The transplantation experiments have, with one exception 1 , shown a decreased 2–6 or unaltered 7,8 reactivity of the post-partum females against the transplantation antigens of the mating male. Serological investigations, on the other hand, have indicated sensitization of the females after interstrain matings. Haemagglutinins directed towards the antigens of the mating male have been demonstrated in the sera of outcrossed, multiparous females 1,9,10 . These conflicting results could be explained by the assumption that immunological enhancement 11 is responsible for the prolonged survival of tissues in the transplantation experiments. Kaliss and Dagg 1 investigated this hypothesis. Some of their results supported the enhancement hypothesis, but no enhancing effect of serum from multiparous females could be demonstrated after transfer to virgin mice of the maternal strain.