Immunosuppressive effect of nucleoside-nucleotide-free diet in rat allogeneic small intestinal transplantation.
BACKGROUND
We evaluated the effects of nucleosides (NS) and nucleotides (NT) on the rejection of rat allogeneic small intestinal transplants.


METHODS
A 2-cm segment of jejunum from fetal Fischer rats (RT-1(lvl)) was transplanted at day 19 of gestation into the abdominal wall of 7-week-old Lewis rats (RT-1(l)) by a nonvascular technique. Two weeks before transplantation, recipient rats were separated into an NS-NT-free group and an NS-NT-supplemented group. At 2 days after transplantation, histologic study of the grafts was performed with hematoxylin-eosin staining and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production estimated in recipient blood using an ELISA method. The morphologic findings were graded in a blind fashion on a scale of 0 to 4, with 0 indicating an intact intestinal structure.


RESULTS
Mean plasma IL-2 levels of the NS-NT-free group were significantly lower than those of the NS-NT-supplemented group. The mean rejection score of the NS-NT-free group was also significantly lower than that of the NS-NT-supplemented group.


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of an NS-NT-free diet reduces acute rejection in rat small intestinal transplantations.
Ogita
K
K
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. ogita@pedsurg.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Suita
S
S
Taguchi
T
T
Uesugi
T
T
D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D023421:Models, Animal; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000172:deficiency*; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000172:deficiency*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D009705:Nucleosides; D009711:Nucleotides