CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Autoimmune diseases are chronic and difficult to treat pathologies that produce a negative impact on the community. NOD (non-obese diabetic) mice are an animal model used for the study of Type 1 diabetes displaying autoimmunity against pancreas leading to a reduced fertility with advancing age. The aim of this work was to evaluate the presence of autoantibodies against hypophysis which in turn, may impair fertility. Serum samples from adult female and male NOD and female C57BL/6 mice were collected. Hypophysis and pancreas total antigens were obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats and C57BL/6 mice respectively, while purified ovine prolactin was purchased. The presence of IgG autoantibodies against pancreas, hypophysis and prolactin were evaluated by ELISA. As expected, we found that female NOD mice developed diabetes measured by the presence glucosuria and autoantibodies against the pancreas (p< 0,05). In contrast, autoantibodies against the pancreas were absent in male NOD and female C57BL/6 mice. Interestingly, we found high levels of IgG against hypophysis only in female NOD mice(p< 0,05) compared to male NOD and female C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, when we evaluated prolactin as a new target of the autoimmune response, female NOD mice showed increased levels of anti prolactin IgG compared to male NOD and female C57BL/6 mice (p< 0,01). In conclusion, we found that female NOD mice displayed a significant autorreactive response of IgG specific to hypophysis and prolactin, suggesting that an imbalance in hormonal status provoked by autoimmunity may promote diabetes progression and infertility. The screening for these new autoantibodies could be a novel contribution to an accurate diagnosis of endocrine pathologies.