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Animal Model |
From the Department of Pathology and Immunology, Monash University Medical School, Prahran, Victoria, Australia
| Abstract |
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| Introduction |
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- and ß-subunits of the gastric
H/K-ATPase.4,5
Experimental autoimmune gastritis can be induced in BALB/c mice by
immunization with the gastric H/K-ATPase6,7
or by a
variety of manipulations that result in transient lymphopenia (reviewed
in Ref. 8
), including neonatal thymectomy,9-11
adult
thymectomy combined with cyclophosphamide treatment,12
lymphoid irradiation,13
and generation of single-chain TCR
transgenic mice.14
Murine autoimmune gastritis induced by
neonatal thymectomy is CD4+ T cell
mediated.15,16
It is also characterized by mononuclear cell
infiltrates within the gastric mucosa, loss of parietal and zymogenic
cells from the gastric glands,7,13,17,18
and parietal cell
autoantibodies to the
- and ß-subunits of the gastric
H/K-ATPase,19,20
which is predictive of
gastritis.6,11,21
Using transgenic mice, we have shown that
a T-cell response to the ß-subunit but not to the
-subunit of the
gastric H/K-ATPase is required for the initiation of autoimmune
gastritis.6,21
Spontaneous animal models of a number of organ-specific autoimmune diseases in humans have previously been reported. For instance, the NOD (nonobese diabetic) mouse is a spontaneous model for autoimmune diabetes that shares features with human autoimmune diabetes.22,23 Other models of organ-specific autoimmune diseases include autoimmune thyroiditis,24 autoimmune hemolytic anemia,25 and autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura.26 Indeed, spontaneous autoimmune gastritis has also previously been described in the BB rat,27 although it does not appear to be a widely used model for autoimmune gastritis. Here we report for the first time the generation of spontaneous autoimmune gastritis in C3H/He mice. We show that C3H/He mice develop gastritis characterized by a mucosal infiltrate of mononuclear cells, loss of parietal and zymogenic cells, and circulating autoantibodies to the gastric H/K-ATPase, characteristics similar to that of human autoimmune gastritis and gastritis in BALB/c and BALB/cCrSlc mice induced by neonatal thymectomy. The spontaneous development of autoimmune gastritis in C3H/He mice more closely mimics the situation in humans and can be expected to be useful for studies of the immunopathogenesis and treatment of autoimmune gastritis.
| Materials and Methods |
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C3H/He mice were obtained from the Walter and Elisa Hall Institute animal facilities (Melbourne, Australia), and BALB/cCrSlc mice were obtained from T. Masuda, Kyoto University, Japan. Mice were maintained under standard conditions in the Monash University Medical School animal facility. All procedures were performed in accordance with Monash University animal ethics guidelines for animal experimentation.
Neonatal Thymectomy
BALB/cCrSlc mice were subjected to neonatal thymectomy 3 days after birth as described previously.11
Indirect Immunofluorescence
Sera from mice were assayed for circulating autoantibodies to gastric parietal cells by indirect immunofluorescence reactivity with paraffin-embedded mouse stomachs as described previously.21 Autoantibodies reactive with stomach, thyroid, pancreas, ovary, or testis were assayed on 5-µm frozen sections.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
The sera of mice were tested for immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies to the gastric H/K-ATPase by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as described previously.21 Anti-H/K-ATPase titers were determined by serial twofold dilution of sera and taken as the highest dilution producing an optical density reading above baseline.
Histology
Mice were killed by cervical dislocation or C02 asphyxiation. Stomachs were removed and examined by histology by staining in hematoxylin and eosin or a modification of Maxwell's staining method.28,29 Gastritis was assessed by the presence of cellular infiltrate into the gastric glands and muscularis mucosa.21 The modified Maxwell staining method allows identification of specialized cell types within the gastric mucosa. In normal mouse stomach sections, parietal cells stain blue-green, zymogenic (chief) cells stain red-purple, and areas of mucus secretion are stained yellow.7,17
| Results |
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We have previously observed the presence of circulating antibodies
to gastric parietal cells demonstrated by immunofluorescence in a small
set of C3H/He mice.30
To extend this observation, we
examined 15 female and 20 male C3H/He mice, age 6 to 8 weeks, from the
same animal facility as those reported in the earlier
study.30
Sera were collected from mice on the day of
delivery to our animal facility and tested for autoantibodies reactive
with the gastric H/K-ATPase by ELISA. One out of 15 female and 1 out of
20 male mice had autoantibodies to the gastric H/K-ATPase, giving an
incidence of 2/35 (6%) (data not shown). These H/K-ATPase-reactive
sera gave immunofluorescence staining of mouse gastric parietal cells
(Figure 1A)
, in a pattern identical to
that seen with sera from BALB/cCrSlc mice with autoimmune gastritis
induced by neonatal thymectomy11
(Figure 1B)
and from
humans with pernicious anemia (Figure 1C)
.
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The incidence of autoimmune gastritis in the 35 mice that were
originally introduced into our animal facility was 2/35 (6%). To
establish a line of C3H/He mice that might display a higher incidence
of spontaneous autoimmune gastritis, we began by mating mice that were
parietal cell and H/K ATPase autoantibody positive. Part of the mating
strategy is outlined in Figure 4
. C3H/He
mice derived from these matings were screened for parietal cell
autoantibodies by indirect immunofluorescence and H/K-ATPase, and
IgG antibodies were screened by ELISA. As shown in Figure 4
, early
generations (generations B and C) from this breeding strategy indicated
that the incidence of autoimmune gastritis had increased. Compared with
the initial group of 35 mice (Figure 4
, generation A) with an
incidence of 2/35, subsequent litters (Figure 4
, generations B and C)
had incidences of between 28.5% and 55%. However, in some litters
(Figure 4
, generations D and E) there was no evidence of parietal cell
antibodies, even though these mice had been derived from three
generations of antibody-positive parents. However, overall the
incidence of parietal cell antibodies in C3H/He mice bred in our
facility (Figure 4
, generations B through E) was substantially
increased compared with mice that were obtained from outside sources
(Figure 4
, generation A) (2/35 versus 21/70;
P = 0.0102). The absence of parietal cell
autoantibodies in some litters suggests that a direct genetic factor is
not involved in the increased incidence of autoimmune gastritis
observed in our col- ony. This is not surprising given that
these mice are an inbred strain and genetically identical. In addition,
we have also screened litters that were generated by mating gastric H/K
ATPase antibody-negative mice, and in one study, 6/13 (46%) mice had
evidence of H/K ATPase antibodies by ELISA (data not shown). Because
these mice were introduced to our conventional mouse facility from a
specific pathogen-free facility, it may suggest that some environmental
factor(s) may be associated with the increased incidence of autoimmune
gastritis in C3H/He mice.
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Autoantibodies to Gastric Parietal Cells in C3H/He Mice Are Reactive with the Gastric H/K ATPase and Associated with Histological Evidence of Gastritis
Autoimmune gastritis in the neonatal thymectomy model is
associated with the presence of parietal cell autoantibodies and
gastritis. In addition, anti-parietal cell reactivity is associated
with autoantibodies to the gastric H/K ATPase and indicative of
gastritis.21
We have confirmed that parietal cell
reactivity observed in C3H/He mice was associated with autoantibodies
to the gastric H/K ATPase and gastritis. Sixteen mice were selected
from our colony based on gastric H/K ATPase reactivity and screened for
parietal cell reactivity and histological evidence of gastritis. As
shown in Figure 5
, all 10 sera reactive
with gastric H/K-ATPase by ELISA were also positive for parietal cell
reactivity and had histological evidence of gastritis (Figure 5)
.
However, the level or degree of infiltration was often not as
pronounced in gastritic C3H/He mice compared with thymectomized mice
and may reflect a difference in the pathogenesis of these two models.
Mice that were not reactive by ELISA or immunofluorescence did not have
gastritis (Figure 5)
. This confirms that the presence of parietal cell
reactivity in C3H/He mice is associated with gastric H/K ATPase IgG
autoantibodies, which are predictive of gastritis. This association has
also been described in the neonatal thymectomy model of experimental
autoimmune gastritis.21
This suggests that the mechanisms
associated with the autoimmune response in C3H/He mice and the neonatal
thymectomy model are similar.
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Development of Gastric H/K ATPase Autoantibodies in C3H/He Mice
We have previously observed in day 3 thymectomy-induced autoimmune
gastritis that gastric H/K ATPase antibodies may be detected as early
as 4 weeks of age and peaks at 8 to 10 weeks17
(F.
Alderuccio et al, unpublished data). To assess the development of H/K
ATPase antibodies in C3H/He mice, sera from mice 4 to 10 weeks of age
were assayed by ELISA for gastric H/K ATPase IgG antibody reactivity.
From a group of 15 mice examined, 4 of 15 (26%) had gastric H/K ATPase
antibodies by 10 weeks of age. Within the group of 4 mice, 3 had
evidence of H/K ATPase reactivity as early as 4 weeks of age (Figure 6A
, optical density reading 0.5 or
greater). At 6 weeks of age, sera from all 4 mice were reactive with
gastric H/K ATPase by ELISA (Figure 6A)
. Reactivity with the H/K ATPase
was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence reactivity with parietal
cells in mouse stomach sections (data not shown).
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| Discussion |
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Experimental autoimmune gastritis can be induced in BALB/c and
BALB/cCrSlc by neonatal thymectomy at age 2 to 4 days.11,33
Autoimmune gastritis in thymectomized mice is characterized by
circulating autoantibodies to the
- and ß-subunits of the gastric
H/K-ATPase.6,19,20
Histological examination of stomachs
from mice with H/K-ATPase antibodies reveals a mononuclear cell
infiltrate within the gastric submucosa that extends into the lamina
propria of the mucosa.10,17,33
The extension of the
mononuclear infiltrate into the lamina propria is accompanied by the
loss of parietal and zymogenic cells from the gastric glands and an
expansion of an immature cell population.7,17,18
In this study, we have described features of autoimmune gastritis that occur spontaneously in C3H/He mice. In several instances, we have directly compared the autoimmune response in C3H/He mice with that seen in the well characterized neonatal thymectomy model. As we have shown, the major parameters that define autoimmune gastritis in the thymectomy model are also present in the C3H/He model. First, C3H/He mice spontaneously develop circulating autoantibodies to the gastric H/K-ATPase. This is the major autoantigen associated with induction of experimental autoimmune gastritis in thymectomized BALB/c mice. However, it still remains to be shown in C3H/He mice that an immune response to the ß-subunit of the gastric H/K ATPase is required for disease induction, which has been shown in the neonatal thymectomy model.21 Autoantibodies in C3H/He mice could be detected in mice as early as 4 weeks of age, and ultimately, the antibody titers to the H/K-ATPase in C3H/He mice are similar to those observed in thymectomized BALB/cCrSlc mice. Secondly, histological examination of the stomachs confirmed the presence of gastritis in C3H/He mice that had circulating autoantibodies to the gastric H/K-ATPase. The gastritis was similar to that seen in BALB/cCrSlc mice after neonatal thymectomy in which there is also a tight correlation between the presence of circulating autoantibodies and underlying gastritis.11 The mucosal infiltration of mononuclear cells is also accompanied by the loss of parietal and chief cells and an increase in the population of mucous cells.
Initially, our strategy was to develop a substrain of C3H/He with a high incidence of autoimmune gastritis by sequential mating of H/K ATPase antibody-positive mice. Although the incidence of autoimmune gastritis has significantly increased in our colony, it does not appear to be due solely to a genetic effect, which may be a limitation to this model. This was highlighted by examples of litters from H/K ATPase antibody-positive parents in which none of the offspring developed H/K ATPase antibodies. In addition, we have also observed the development of H/K ATPase antibodies in litters derived from mating mice without H/K ATPase antibodies. The mechanism(s) associated with the development of autoimmune gastritis in C3H/He mice is unknown. It is possible that environmental factors may be involved in the increased incidence of gastritis. This is fueled by the observation that the increase in gastritis occurred in mice that were transported from a specific pathogen-free environment to our conventional animal facility. We are exploring this possibility further. It has recently been described that a feature common to many models of organ-specific autoimmunity is a state of lymphopenia.8 From our studies, C3H/He mice were not lymphopenic when compared with BALB/c mice or abnormal in the CD4+/CD8+ T-cell ratios. However, it is possible that more subtle or functional abnormalities, which are yet to be defined, may exist in the lymphocyte populations.
In summary, we have described a spontaneous model of autoimmune gastritis in C3H/He mice. Spontaneous gastritis with loss of parietal and zymogenic cells and autoantibodies to the gastric H/K-ATPase are hallmarks of human autoimmune gastritis and pernicious anemia.3,34 In humans, a tight correlation between the presence of circulating parietal cell autoantibodies and the presence of underlying gastritis has also been observed.35,36 We believe that autoimmune gastritis in C3H/He mice is an excellent model for human autoimmune gastritis. It represents one of very few animal models in which the target autoantigens have been defined and shown to be identical to that in the corresponding human disease. The existence of a spontaneous model for autoimmune gastritis that occurs without immunization or the need for manipulating the immune system will be a significant contribution to the field of autoimmunity research.
| Acknowledgements |
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| Footnotes |
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This work was supported by grants from the National Health and Research Council and the Alfred Healthcare Group.
Accepted for publication July 18, 1998.
| References |
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and ß subunits of the gastric H+/K+-ATPase are concordantly targeted by parietal cell autoantibodies associated with autoimmune gastritis. Autoimmunity 1993, 16:289-295[Medline]
-subunit in the thymus may explain the dominant role of the ß-subunit in the pathogenesis of autoimmune gastritis. Autoimmunity 1997, 25:167-175[Medline]
subunit as a major antigenic protein in autoimmune gastritis induced by neonatal thymectomy in mice. Clin Exp Immunol 1992, 89:63-67[Medline]
and ß subunits of the gastric proton pump. Gastroenterology 1991, 101:287-294[Medline]
/ß-T cell receptor (TCR)+CD4-CD8- (NKT) thymocytes prevent insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in nonobese diabetic (NOD)/Lt mice by the influence of interleukin (IL)-4 and/or IL-10. J Exp Med 1998, 187:1047-1056
ßTCR+CD4-CD8- T-cell deficiency and IDDM in NOD/Lt mice. Diabetes 1997, 46:572-582[Abstract]
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