Original Paper

Passive Transfer of Experimental Autoimmune Labyrinthitis
Tetsuo Ikezono^a,b, Shunichi Tomiyama^a, Ruby Pawankar^a, Ken Jinnouchi^a, Yutaka Suzuki^c, Toshiaki Yagi<sup>a

a</sup>Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo,
^bDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Isesaki Municipal Hospital, Isesaki, and
^cDepartment of Pathology, Isesaki Municipal Hospital, Isesaki, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Audiology & Neuro-Otology 2000;5:292-299 (DOI: 10.1159/000013893)

  Key Words

• Ménière's disease
• Autoimmune labyrinthitis
• Passive transfer
• Animal model

  Abstract

The aim of the present study was to establish an animal model of autoimmune labyrinthitis using heterologous inner ear antigen (IEAg) and to elucidate whether the experimentally induced labyrinthitis could be passively transferred. Cochlear and vestibular membranous labyrinthine tissues from bovine temporal bones were used as IEAg. Donor mice were inoculated intracutaneously at multiple sites with an emulsion consisting of equal parts of IEAg and complete Freund's adjuvant. After 10 days, mononuclear cells were collected from lymph nodes, spleen and blood of the donor mice and injected intravenously into naive recipient mice. Cellular infiltration was observed in the perilymphatic space of the cochlea of all donor and recipient mice. Endolymphatic hydrops was also observed in 63% of donor and 42% of recipient mice. These findings suggest that the experimentally induced labyrinthitis observed in this animal model was probably due to an autoimmune reaction to the IEAg and was passively transferred by a cell-mediated immune raction.

Copyright © 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Tetsuo Ikezono MD, PhD
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nippon Medical School
1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8603 (Japan)
Tel. +81 3 3822 2131 (ext. 6746), Fax +81 3 5685 0830
E-Mail tikezono@nms.ac.jp

  Article Information

Received: Received: May 13, 1999
Accepted after revision: December 2, 1999
Number of Print Pages : 8
Number of Figures : 6, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 29