Antiserum to rat visceral yolk sac endoderm induced abnormal embryonic development.

The induction of abnormal embryonic development by heterologous tissue antisera has been well established. The underlying mechanism whereby such teratogenesis occurs is not known. There were implications that visceral yolk sac endoderm might be involved. Endoderm was isolated from rat visceral yolk sac of 14th day of gestation using a nonenzymic procedure. The purity of the endoderm preparation was examined by electron microscopy. The preparation contained sheets of single layer of endodermal cells with no apparent contamination by the underlying mesenchyme or basal lamina. The specificity of the antiserum was examined by in vitro immunofluorescent localization studies. The antibodies against the endoderm localized only in the endodermal cells and some of the renal tubular cells. Intraperitoneal injection of the endoderm antiserum into 9-day pregnant rats resulted in congenital malformation, embryonic death, and fetal growth retardation. The effects of the antiserum were dose-dependent. The most frequently observed defects were anophthalmia and microphthalmia. Retarding effect of the antiserum on the growth of the embryo at the egg cylinder stage was also observed. In vivo immunofluorescent localization studies indicated that the endoderm antibodies localized only in the endodermal cells of the visceral yolk sac placenta; no localization was observed in the visceral yolk sac mesenchyme, basal lamina. Reichert's membrane, maternal kidney tissue or the embryo proper.