title: Immune suppression produced by intrathymic inoculation with xenogeneic antigen and whole-body γ-irradiation in a pig-to-monkey heart transplantation model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To validate the use of pig-to-monkey transplantation as an experimental animal model for study of the induction of immune suppression of cardiac xenografts via intrathymic inoculation with xenogeneic spleen cells and whole-body γ-irradiation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Donors (Meishan pigs) and recipients (Rhesus monkeys) were randomized into 3 groups. Group 2 was the control group; group 2 received whole-body irradiation, and group 3 received whole-body irradiation and intrathymic inoculation. In each group, survival time of heterotopic heart xenografts in monkeys were observed. A mixed lymphocyte reaction assay with (3)H thymidine was used to examine changes in lymphocyte function in all groups on the day of transplantation. In each group, recipient serum was harvested for analysis of IL-2 and IL-10 concentrations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (SD) survival time of donor hearts in group 3 was significantly longer (91.1 [22.8] hours) than in group 1 (36.6 [5.8] hours) (P < .01). The results of mixed lymphocyte reaction assay demonstrated a significant reduction in the stimulation index in group 3 compared with groups 1 and 2 (P < .01) when recipient splenocytes responded to the donor stimulator. The IL-2 concentration in recipients in all groups was much higher during rejection of xenografts than before transplantation (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that pretreatment with intrathymic inoculation or whole-body irradiation induces T-cell immunosuppression. The IL-2 concentration is closely correlated with xenograft rejection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Q V
authors.initials: QV
authors.lastname: Jichen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015478:Antigens, Heterophile / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007267:Injections; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D013552:Swine; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D015478:Antigens, Heterophile; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016753:Interleukin-10