Characterization of a halothane-induced humoral immune response in rabbits

An animal model of halothane-induced liver injury has been developed in the rabbit to study the production of humoral immunity towards a biotransformation intermediate of halothane. Rabbits exposed many times to halothane in a 75% O2/25% N2 atmosphere produce an antibody that cross-reacts with the trifluoroacetyl moiety of trifluoroacetylated rabbit serum albumin (TFA-RSA). The generation of this halothane-induced immunogen is dependent upon high oxygen tension as shown by the minimal anti-TFA antibody response seen in rabbits exposed to halothane in a 14% O2/86% N2 atmosphere. In addition, halothane exposure of rabbits specifically immunized with the metabolite-carrier complex, TFA-RSA, induces a secondary antibody response toward the immunogen. In rabbits, either immunized with TFA-RSA or not, multiple halothane exposures induce populations of antibodies with varying specificities. Evidence suggests that predominance of the metabolic intermediate, the ensuing immunogen, and the subsequent antibody response depends upon the oxygen tension during successive exposures to halothane. These successive exposures could potentially generate many different immunogens resulting in varied antibody specificities.