The role of the thymus in development of necrotizing arteritis in transgenic rats carrying the env-pX gene of human T-cell leukemia virus type-I.
Necrotizing arteritis mimicking polyarteritis nodosa occurred in transgenic rats carrying the env-pX gene of human T-cell leukemia virus type I. To investigate the pathogenesis of necrotizing arteritis in these rats (env-pX rats), adoptive transfers of spleen cells and bone marrow cells were done from env-pX rats before they developed arteritis to nontransgenic rats. Necrotizing arteritis occurred in lethally irradiated nontransgenic rats reconstituted by env-pX spleen cells, thus indicating that the env-pX transgene in affected vessels may not be essential for the development of arteritis. In contrast, arteritis was not induced in nontransgenic recipients by adoptive transfers of env-pX bone marrow cells, which suggested that T cells derived from the env-pX thymus may play a role in the development of arteritis. To clarify if the process of differentiation of T cells in the env-pX thymus is crucial to develop necrotizing arteritis, reciprocal exchange of thymus frameworks was done between env-pX and nontransgenic rats. Necrotizing arteritis occurred in nontransgenic rats with an env-pX thymus framework, whereas development of arteritis was suppressed in env-pX rats in which the thymus framework was replaced with a nontransgenic one. This collective evidence shows that the thymus is directly associated with the development of necrotizing arteritis in env-pX rats.
Fugo
Kazunori
K
Department of Pathology/Pathophysiology, Division of Pathophysiological Science, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Ishizu
Akihiro
A
Ikeda
Hitoshi
H
Hayase
Hiroko
H
Sugaya
Toshiaki
T
Higuchi
Masato
M
Tsuji
Muneharu
M
Abe
Asami
A
Suzuki
Akira
A
Shibata
Masahiko
M
Takahashi
Toshiyuki
T
Yoshiki
Takashi
T
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D006801:Humans; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
D015682:Retroviridae Proteins, Oncogenic; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C072343:pX protein, Human T-lymphotropic virus 1