What Does Pristane Do for Ascites Production?

The body naturally produces antibodies when exposed to foreign substances. Antibodies seek out foreign invaders and help destroy them. Monoclonal antibodies are pure, invader-specific antibodies produced in a lab by scientists and are used for treating disease. Pristane is a chemical used to prepare the abdominal cavity of mice for the production of monoclonal antibodies.

Background

• According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, injecting special cells, called hybridomas into the abdominal cavity of a mouse allows scientists to obtain very high levels of monoclonal antibodies. Within the mouse, the hybridoma cells grow, produce antibodies and form a fluid, called ascites. The fluid is removed from the mouse and the antibodies are isolated from the fluid/cell mixture.

Method

• Pristane is a chemical injected into a mouse's abdominal cavity that creates an environment conducive to rapid growth of fluid-producing tumors. The Rochester Institute of Technology recommends injecting a mouse with 0.5 ml of pristane one to three weeks before hybridoma injection. The mouse can be used for ascites production for three weeks following pristane injection.

Mode of Action

• According to researchers at the University of California Berkeley, pristane suppresses the mouse's immune system and interferes with its body's natural ability to drain the ascites. Consequently, pristane increases monoclonal antibody-rich fluid yield.