title: Cytokine gene expression in pancreatic islet grafts in the rat.
abstract: We examined the production of cytokine message in allogeneic and syngeneic rat pancreatic islet grafts using specific primers and polymerase chain reaction. Freshly isolated islet preparations contained transcripts for interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-6, IL-10, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) but not for IL-2. IL-1alpha in allogeneic grafts showed increased and consistently high expression from 1 to 7 days after transplantation, but the level in syngeneic grafts fell quickly to pretransplant levels. IL-2 and IFN-gamma transcripts were found in allogeneic grafts at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after transplantation with a peak at day 5, but these cytokines were almost absent from syngeneic grafts. The peak of IL-6 expression was 1 day after transplantation in both syngeneic and allogeneic grafts, and then the level fell quickly. IL-10 was produced at approximately the same high level at all time points in both syngeneic and allogeneic grafts. The results show that freshly isolated islet preparations contain IL-1alpha, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-gamma transcripts at the time of transplantation. The initial production of cytokines in islet grafts, especially IL-1, may explain phenomena such as graft nonfunction, rapid rejection, and lack of response to immunosuppression.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Surgery, University of Oxford, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital, England.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozasa
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dallman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma