Experimental autoimmune orchitis in T-cell-deficient mice.

Experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) was induced in inbred strains of mice by injection of mouse testis homogenate (MTH) in Freund's complete adjuvant with pertussis vaccine. Although all mice injected with MTH and adjuvants developed signs of EAO, there were marked strain variations in susceptibility to EAO suggesting that genetic factors may be involved in the response to antigen or to adjuvants. Studies in hypothymic BALB/c. nu/nu mice indicated that a source of T cell was required for induction of EAO. Thus BALB/c. nu/nu mice were not able to develop EAO, despite adequate orchitogenic challenge; reconstitution of nu/nu mice with syngeneic thymocytes completely restored the capacity of such mice to develop orchitis. Transfer of EAO was effected in nu/nu mice with lymphoid cells from appropriately immunized donors but not with immune serum. However, both T cells and antibodies may be necessary in the effector stages of the disease since the capacity of lymphoid cells to transfer EAO was only partially inhibited by anti-Thy-1.2 treatment.