Experimental glomerulonephritis. VII. The absence of an autoimmune antikidney response in nephrotoxic serum nephritis.

Rats with nephrotoxic serum nephritis were studied for the presence of a possible autoimmune response to renal antigens formed and/or liberated during the immunologic reactions taking place in the glomeruli. The experiments consisted of transplantation of a normal isologous kidney to a nephritic rat and parabiosis of a normal rat to a nephritic rat. Neither functional nor morphologic abnormalities were noted in the normal kidneys in either situation. Transfer of the rabbit nephrotoxic antibody to the normal kidneys was noted in both experiments, indicating a continual dissociation and reassociation of nephrotoxic antibody with the tissue antigens of the host. Some of the nephritic rats showed a decrease in proteinuria and a slowing in the progression of the nephritis during the period in which the normal kidney was transplanted or a normal rat was united in parabiosis.