Experimental Production of an L.E.-Like Disease

Alterations simulating lupus erythematosus were produced in rabbits injected intramuscularly with glucose incorporated in Freund adjuvant. These changes were evidenced by the appearance of antiglobulin positive red cells, hyperglobulinemia, particularly of the gamma globulin fraction, the development of anticomplementariness in these sera, and increases in serum DNA. Positive complement fixation tests were noted with these sera and DNA and with rabbit liver nuclei in a percentage of the animals. Moreover, skin hypersensitivity to hexoses and hexose-linked materials was demonstrated. The most marked skin reactions were to glucose, 2- deoxyglucose and uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid. At sacrifice, the kidneys, lungs and the areas around the organs revealed marked nuclear alteration with many areas of “smudging” and changes histologically compatible with hematoxylin bodies. The histochemical reactions of these nuclear changes were similar to those observed in material from patients dying with D.L.E.