The traffic of mononuclear phagocytes through renal allografts in sheep.
Five to ten per cent of the cells in lymph draining renal allografts in sheep have the morphology of mononuclear phagocytes (MNP). These cells have been examined by light and electron microscopy and their functional characteristics investigated. The vast majority of MNP were of recipient origin. Their traffic increased from about 10(6)/hr immediately after grafting to between 2 and 4 X 10(7)/hr just prior to rejection. During the 1st 2 to 3 days, the majority of MNP had the morphology of monocytes, but the proportion of mature macrophages increased steadily to 30%. During the later stages, many of these large macrophages showed features of activation in terms of their spreading and phagocytic capacities. No NDA synthesis was observed in MNP until the latest stages, when a small proportion (less than 1%) of MNP labelled in vitro. Short-term cultures of lymph cells from kidneys undergoing rejection gave rise to numerous giant cells. It is suggested that there is continual traffic of MNP through the grafted kidney and that a proportion of MNP differentiate within the kidney and show features of activation.
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008196:Lymph / Q000166:cytology; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010587:Phagocytosis; D012756:Sheep; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D004247:DNA