Immunoserological Studies on Experimental Virus Hepatitis 3rd Chap. An Immunoserological Study on the Electric Charge of Cell Membrane

For the purpose of clarifying the infection allergy on Ectromelia virus infection, especially auto-allergy which was noted in the later stage of subclinical infection, alternations of membranous electric charge in erythrocyte, which was a host of infected virus and mesenchymal wondering cell, and in parenchymal liver cell were studied by means of cells electrophoresis, and the following results were obtained: 1) Erythrocytes of normal mouse were all negatively charged. Upon Ectromelia virus infection membranous electric charge density of the erythrocytes, which were host of the virus, markedly decreased from the beginning of the infection and then returned to normal level in three days or so. However, in the cases of subclinical infection to which a small amount of virus inoculated, it again decreased around 12 th day and returned to normal in two days or so. The initial decrease in the membranous electric charge density was considered mainly due to adhesion of the virus and hemagglutinin to the surface membrane of erythrocyte, while the later decrease due to inactivation of specific receptor on the surface of erythroeyte following moving out the virus and also to incomplete antibody attached to the surface of erythrocyte which was able to detect by the direct coombs' test. The influence of break-down products of the liver by the infection was relatively little. 2) There were little changes in the membranous electric charge density at the stage of infection when auto-allergy phenomenon and auto-liver antibody were noted in the blood. 3) During the virus infection, alternations of the membranous electric charge density of parenchymal liver cells were characteristic. At the beginning of the infection the electric charge significantly decreased when the virus atracted to the receptor on the surface membrane of the liver cells and then the virus was ready to move into the cell following inactivation of the receptor. The electric charge rapidly increase when the virus moved into the cells to form elementary body, namely degeneration-necrosis stage. 4) In case of subclinical infection, in which a small amount of virus inoculated, degenerative changes of parenchymal liver cells, as judged by the alternations of suface electric charge, were transient and reversible and recovered to normal shortly. 5) The membranous electric charge of parenchymal liver cells had been almost normal range during the period from the later stage of the infection to the stage of completion of auto-allergy 6) In case of subslinical infection, in which a small amouut of virus inoculated, a slight decrease in the membranous electric charge of parenchymal liver cells was noted around 17th day. 7) The membranous electric change and velocity of electrophoresis were increased in parenchymal liver cells in subclinical infection around 27th day when the auto-liver antibody titre was rather high. This was due to affected reactibility of the liver cells which had some mild transient reversible degeneration in themselves. 8) The positive direct Coomhs' test component, which appeared in the early stage of the infection, presented close relations with virus, hemoagglutinin and also degenerative substances in the blood seen at the beginning of infection.