Increased apoptosis is specific for acute rejection in rat small bowel transplant.
Apoptosis has been associated with several events in solid organ transplantation, including ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury and acute rejection. To determine whether apoptosis-profiles may distinguish these two conditions, we analyzed apoptosis rates in a rat orthotopic small bowel transplant (SBT) model. SBT was performed in Lewis rats with either freshly harvested or preserved (4 h, in UW at 4 degrees C) syngeneic and allogeneic (Brown-Norway) grafts. Bowel samples were collected 2 h after reperfusion and on small bowel transplant postoperative days (POD) 1, 4, and 7. Apoptosis was detected by measuring levels of histone-associated DNA fragments and caspase 3 expression, and by determining apoptotic body counts. All markers measured 2 h after reperfusion increased profoundly in association with preservation. After a significant decrease on POD 1, apoptosis rates rose again between POD 4 and 7 only in allogeneic grafts. This distinct second increase in apoptosis may be an early and specific sign of acute rejection.
Fishbein
Thomas M
TM
The Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
Liu
Jianhua
J
Wang
Liqing
L
Li
Yansui
Y
Boros
Peter
P
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000098:blood supply / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D009707:Nucleosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D011184:Postoperative Period; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000175:diagnosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
D009707:Nucleosomes; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases