Expression of an interferon-gamma-like substance in normal and transplanted rat heart tissue.
The presence of interferon-gamma-like molecules has been reported not only in lymphocytes, but also in certain nerve cells and in normal skeletal muscle. We have studied the reactivity of the anti-interferon-gamma monoclonal antibody DB1 with frozen sections of normal and transplanted rat hearts. Cardiac grafts from PVG donor rats were transplanted to syngeneic PVG recipients or allogeneic Wistar/Kyoto recipient rats with the use of an accessory cervical heart transplantation technique. The allogeneic heart transplants were harvested 4 days and the syngeneic grafts 4 weeks after transplantation. In normal hearts there was a weak but distinct reactivity with the anti-interferon-gamma antibody in most muscle cells. In addition, some lymphocytes and the Purkinje fibers were positive. Hearts transplanted over an allogeneic barrier revealed that staining for interferon-gamma on muscle cells was substantially increased whereas no or only a moderate increase in the anti-interferon-gamma staining was seen in hearts transplanted to syngeneic recipients. These data indicate that interferon-gamma present in rat myocyte may be involved in the pathophysiology of graft rejection and also suggest that interferon-gamma may be of importance for the function of normal rat heart muscle cells.
Wanders
A
A
Department of Pathology, University of Uppsala, Sweden.
Wells
A F
AF
Larsson
E
E
Tufveson
G
G
Olsson
T
T
Ljungdahl
A
A
Klareskog
L
L
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007371:Interferon-gamma