Masugi nephritis produced by the antiserum to heterologous glomerular basement membrane. I. Results in mice.

Nephrotoxic activity of rabbit antisera to glomerular basement membrane (GBM) from three different donors (rat, gerbil, and man) was examined in mice of various strains. Animals receiving a small dose (0.1 ml) of anti-rat GBM or a large dose (0.3 ml X 2) of anti-gerbil GBM developed massive proteinuria and irreversible glomerular lesions which were identical to those seen in rats receiving anti-rat GBM, i.e. rat Masugi nephritis. Linear deposition of rabbit IgG, host's immunoglobulins and C3 was characteristically seen. Necrotizing changes and crescent formation accompanied by plasmic exudation, cellular proliferation and/or infiltration of PMNs and monocytes occurred after the injection. In animals receiving anti-human GBM, linear deposition of rabbit IgG and less marked glomerular changes were seen. The finding of no specificity in species between GBM antigens of rat and mouse indicates the usefulness of rat GBM for mouse Masugi nephritis or anti-GBM disease.