The Experimental Toxemia of Pregnancy and the Effect of Glycyrrhizine

Abstract

M.Kaku and his associates have demonstrated that the human placental polysaccharide-like substance (KPS) has an antigenicity immunologically and there is an antibody against the substance in the serum of patient with toxemia of pregnancy. Furthermore, the pathological changes similar to the toxemia of pregnancy was experimentally caused in rabbit and dog with KPS substance. The author immunized the rabbits with KPS and with the substance plus adjuvant respectively. After the immunization was completed, both the titer of antibody and the pathological change of liver and kidney in experimental animals following the reinjection of KPS substance were compared. On the other hand, the Glycyrrhizine which may inhibit the antibody formation was given to the rabbit during the immunization of KPS substances and then both the titer of antibody and the change of liver and kidney were observed. The results were as follows: 1) The titer of antibody was higher in the group of KPS plus adjuvant immunization than in that of the KPS immunization alone. When the Glycyrrhizine was given to these groups, the antibody formation was inhibited. 2) The histopathological changes of liver and kidney in the adjuvant group were more severe than the group immunized with KPS alone. The changes were similar to those of toxemia. On the contrary, in the group administrated with Glycyrrlizine the changes of organs were mild. 3) From the experimental observation it was considered that the titer of antibody against placental substance (KPS) has a close relation with the pathological changes in organs of experimental animals. 4) From above mentioned results it may be concluded that the Glycyrrhizine reduces the ability of antibody formation but does not affect the titer of antibody which was priorily formed by the injection of KPS substance.