Apoptosis of crypt cells and lymphocytes in gut-associated lymphoid tissues during small intestinal graft rejection in rats.
BACKGROUND
We investigated the extent of apoptosis in crypt cells and Peyer's patches (PPs) during small bowel allograft rejection in rats to examine whether the Fas/FasL pathway participates in apoptosis within grafts during rejection.


METHODS
Orthotopic small bowel transplantation with portocaval drainage was performed from Brown Norway to Lewis (LEW) rats. Isografted (LEW --> LEW) and nontransplanted animals served as the controls. Animals were sacrificed on days 3, 5, on 7 after SBT (each n = 5). An in situ end-labeling (ISEL) technique was used to detect apoptotic cells. Indirect immunoperoxidase staining was also performed using monoclonal antibodies against rat Fas or Fas-L.


RESULTS
The number of ISEL-positive enterocytes in the allografts increased significantly on days 3, 5, and 7. Similarly, in the PPs of the allografts, the number of ISEL-positive mononuclear cells increased significantly on days 3, 5, and 7. On day 7 the number of Fas- and FasL-positive enterocytes were increased significantly in the allografts compared with the nontransplanted controls. Similarly, in the PPs, Fas- and FasL-positive mononuclear cells also increased significantly on day 7 in the allograft.


CONCLUSIONS
Although an increase, number of apoptotic enterocytes and lymphocytes were observed in the early phase, activation of Fas/FasL system occurred during the late phase of small bowel graft rejection. These findings suggest that both rejection-associated and sepsis-induced forms of apoptosis may be associated with small bowel graft rejection.
Park
Y J
YJ
First Department of Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Park8@med.nihon-u.ac.be
Fujisaki
S
S
Kimizuka
K
K
Shugito
K
K
Tomita
R
R
Fukuzawa
M
M
Matsumoto
K
K
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000473:pathology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000473:pathology*; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic / Q000473:pathology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000032:analysis
D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C505662:Faslg protein, rat; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019014:fas Receptor