[Experimental research on immunological rejection of brain tissue allograft].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the occurrence of rejection in brain tissue transplantation.


METHODS
Ventral mesencephalon(VM) single cell suspensions from newborn rats were allografted into the striata of Parkinson's disease model recipient rats. Surviving animals were sacrificed at 2, 4 and 6 wk after transplantation, and the brain tissues were stained with HE or immunocytochemically to inspect the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and major histocompatibility complex class II antigens (MHC II).


RESULTS
High MHC II expression was observed within and around the allografts compared with control at 2 wk after grafting. MHC II expression then decreased at 4 wk and at 6 wk only few immunopositive cells remained. The number of TH positive neurons was low at 2 wk, but increased at 4 and 6 wk after transplantation.


CONCLUSIONS
The brain is not an "immunologically privileged site" and graft rejection exists in brain tissue transplantation. This rejection maybe induced by MHC II. Therefore it is necessary to use immunosuppressants in brain transplantation.
Han
Yang
Y
Neurobiology Institute, Medical College of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China. myhanyang@ton.com
Zeng
Shui-Lin
SL
Wang
Lei
L
Lei
Zhi-Nian
ZN
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D016380:Brain Tissue Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase