Production of circulating reaginic (IgE) antibodies by oral administration of ovalbumin to rats.

Reaginic antibody synthesis following parenteral and/or oral administration of ovalbumin and Bordetella pertussis organisms as adjuvant has been evaluated in LOU/M/Wsl inbred rats. These rats are able to produce high reaginic antibody serum levels after intraperitoneal injection of this antigen. Primary oral administration of ovalbumin doses between 10 and 100 mg with Bordetella pertussis organisms given as adjuvant by the intraperitoneal or the oral route led to characteristic reagnic responses. Secondary reaginic responses were obtained by oral administration of ovalbumin without any adjuvant in animals sensitized by the oral or the intraperitoneal route. A hundred micrograms of ovalbumin was enough to induce reaginic responses but more constant and higher reaginic levels were obtained with a 50 mg dose in the experimental model employed.