Immunological study of unresponsive state in rat hepatic transplant model. 1. Phenotypic and functional analyses of infiltrating cells.
In order to elucidate the immunological characteristics of rat liver transplantation, graft-infiltrating cells (GIC) isolated from rat hepatic allografts were analyzed phenotypically and functionally. GIC from long-surviving recipients (Brown Norway livers into Lewis hosts) and acutely rejecting recipients (DA livers into Lewis hosts) were compared. The relative proportions of all T cells and activated T cells determined by flow cytometry were significantly higher in acutely rejecting Lewis recipients than in long-surviving recipients on day 6 after grafting. Phenotypic kinesis of GIC on days 6, 14, and 45 after transplantation from long-surviving Lewis hosts was analyzed. Each proportion of all T cells, OX8-positive cells (cytotoxic T and natural killer cells), and OX39-positive cells (IL-2 receptor), was greatest on day 6 and decreased by day 45. Cytotoxic activity of GIC toward donor lymphocytes on day 6 was greater in acutely rejecting versus long-surviving recipients. These results demonstrate that an immunosuppressive mechanism is already present on day 6 posttransplantation, and that infiltration or activation of cytotoxic T cells is inhibited in the long-surviving rat hepatic allografts.
Ohsaka
Y
Y
Second Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan.
Yoshimura
N
N
Hamashima
T
T
Yura
H
H
Yasui
H
H
Shiho
O
O
Oka
T
T
D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous