Immunohistological observations of rat fetal pancreas allografts transplanted into unmodified and cyclosporine-treated recipients.
Administration of CsA (15 mg/kg/day) prolonged the survival of DA (RT1a) rat fetal pancreas transplanted to the renal subcapular site of both PVG (RT1c) and Lewis (RT1(1] recipients. Sections of fetal pancreas examined 40 days after transplantation into allogeneic CsA-treated recipients showed growth and development of the fetal pancreas tissue, and the presence of numerous insulin-containing islets. CsA treatment prevented the induction of MHC antigen within allografts. Whereas at day 4, both rejecting and CsA treated grafts showed donor class I MHC expression on duct epithelium and islet cells, only rejecting grafts displayed class I MHC induction on acinar cells. Rejecting grafts showed strong induction of class II MHC antigen expression on duct epithelium from day 4 onward but this was completely prevented by CsA treatment. Islet cells in both rejecting and CsA treated allografts remained class II-negative throughout. CsA also resulted in a reduction in the day 6 cellular infiltrate of allografts (median area leukocyte infiltrate reduced from 43% to 10%) with a marked decrease in the number of MRC OX-8-positive cells. These results show a favorable effect of CsA on rat fetal pancreas allografts with a reduction in MHC antigen expression within the graft and prolonged survival of insulin-rich endocrine tissue.
Brown
M W
MW
University Department of Surgery, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland.
Bolton
E M
EM
More
I A
IA
Bradley
J A
JA
D000818:Animals; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005333:Fetus; D005865:Gestational Age; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D007249:Inflammation; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000276:immunology; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation; D011292:Premedication; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D003524:Cyclosporins; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; C038353:histocompatibility antigens RT, rat