Induction of immune unresponsiveness to concordant islet xenografts by intrahepatic preimmunization and transient immunosuppression.
Streptozotocin-induced, diabetic mice (C57BL/6) were preimmunized by injecting 25 low temperature, cultured Wistar-Furth (WF) rat islets into the portal vein, and the recipients received one injection of mouse and rat antilymphocyte sera. 3 wk later, fresh WF islets were transplanted under the kidney capsule of the preimmunized recipients, and normoglycemia was maintained in all 13 recipients for 60 d. Removal of the grafts at 60 d returned the mice to a diabetic state. Transplants of fresh WF islets under the kidney capsule without pretreatment of the recipients had a mean survival time of 16.5 +/- 2.5 d. These findings demonstrate that immune unresponsiveness can be achieved across a concordant, islet xenograft barrier within 3 wk after intrahepatic preimmunization with a small number of donor rat islets and transient immunosuppression with antilymphocyte sera.
Goss
J A
JA
Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
Finke
E H
EH
Flye
M W
MW
Lacy
P E
PE
D000818:Animals; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006085:Graft Survival; D007114:Immunization; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000276:immunology; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051381:Rats; D011920:Rats, Inbred WF; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000276:immunology*
D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum