A phenotypic analysis of T lymphocytes isolated from the brains of mice with allogeneic neural transplants

Immunomodulation with intrathymic grafts or anti-lymphocyte serum promotes long-term intraspinal allograft survival

In this study, we sought to test whether introduction of fetal cells into the adult rat thymus would promote immunotolerance to subsequent donor-type allografts in the injured spinal cord. To first evaluate intrathymic survival of fetal central nervous system (CNS) tissue, fragments of E14 Sprague-Dawley (SD) fetal spinal cord (FSCSD) were injected into the thymuses of either adult, outbred SD, or Wistar rats. Histological examination revealed well-differentiated grafts in both the SD (10 out of 13) and Wistar (7 out of 13) recipients. We next examined whether prior intrathymic exposure to FSC graft-derived alloantigens leads to enhanced survival of subsequent allografts into the injured, adult spinal cord. Wistar rats thus first received FSCSD tissue as intrathymic grafts coupled with single-dose, anti-lymphocyte serum (ALS) ablation of the circulating host T-cell population. Ten days later, FCSSD was transplanted into an aspiration lesion of each intrathymic graft recipient's spinal cord. After 60 days, 87% of two-stage graft recipients (n = 15) exhibited viable intraspinal (IS) grafts compared to 38% (3 out of 8) observed in the controls (i.e., not receiving intrathymic grafts). Another group of Wistar rats that had received ALS (only) at the time of the IS FSCSD transplant (n = 8) also had 75% graft survival rates after 60 days. These initial findings show that the intrathymic microenvironment can be a compatible ectopic site for fetal SC graft development and survival. Also, the enhanced survival of intraspinal grafts in animals with previous intrathymic implants or ALS administered at the time of grafting suggests the potential for inducing immunoprotection of some fetal neural allografts in adult recipients.

Immunomodulation with Intrathymic Grafts or Anti-Lymphocyte Serum Promotes Long-Term Intraspinal Allograft Survival

In this study, we sought to test whether introduction of fetal cells into the adult rat thymus would promote immunotolerance to subsequent donor-type allografts in the injured spinal cord. To first evaluate intrathymic survival of fetal central nervous system (CNS) tissue, fragments of E14 Sprague–Dawley (SD) fetal spinal cord (FSC,SD) were injected into the thymuses of either adult, outbred SD, or Wistar rats. Histological examination revealed well-differentiated grafts in both the SD (10 out of 13) and Wistar (7 out of 13) recipients. We next examined whether prior intrathymic exposure to FSC graft-derived alloantigens leads to enhanced survival of subsequent allografts into the injured, adult spinal cord. Wistar rats thus first received FSCSD tissue as intrathymic grafts coupled with single-dose, anti-lymphocyte serum (ALS) ablation of the circulating host T-cell population. Ten days later, FCSSD was transplanted into an aspiration lesion of each intrathymic graft recipient's spinal cord. After 60 days, 87% of two-stage graft recipients (n = 15) exhibited viable intraspinal (IS) grafts compared to 38% (3 out of 8) observed in the controls (i.e., not receiving intrathymic grafts). Another group of Wistar rats that had received ALS (only) at the time of the IS FSCSD transplant (n = 8) also had 75% graft survival rates after 60 days. These initial findings show that the intrathymic microenvironment can be a compatible ectopic site for fetal SC graft development and survival. Also, the enhanced survival of intraspinal grafts in animals with previous intrathymic implants or ALS administered at the time of grafting suggests the potential for inducing immunoprotection of some fetal neural allografts in adult recipients.

Leukocyte infiltration and glial reactions in xenografts of mouse brain tissue undergoing rejection in the adult rat brain. A light and electron microscopical immunocytochemical study

Neural mouse xenografts undergoing rejection in the adult recipient rat brain were characterized with regard to infiltrating host leukocytes and reactions of graft and host astro- and microglial cells. Rejection occurred within 35 days with infiltration of the grafts by in particular macrophages and T-cells as well as blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage for IgG. In the surrounding host brain microglial cells showed increased histochemical staining for nucleoside diphosphatase (NDPase) and increased immunocytochemical expression of complement receptor type 3 (CR3), while astroglial cells displayed an increased immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Light microscopic findings of rat major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen class I on microglial cells, endothelial cells and leukocytes were confirmed at the ultrastructural level and extended to include a few astrocytes. Rat and mouse MHC antigen class II was only detected on leukocytes and activated microglia. We suggest that host macrophages and activated host and xenograft microglial cells act in situ as immunostimulatory cells on T-helper cells, and that increased levels of donor MHC antigen class I may further enhance the killer activity exerted by host T-cytotoxic cells.

BN rats do not reject F344 brain allografts even after systemic sensitization

Embryonic brain tissue allografts under many circumstances survive transplantation into the brain. It is generally believed that such grafts will not survive if the host animal is systemically sensitized, by skin grafting or other means, to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens of the donor animal. We have found that F344 brain grafts survive in BN hosts even when the host is systemically sensitized to F344 tissue. Embryonic cerebral neocortex from F344 donors was transplanted into BN host rats (n = 95). Subsequently, the host rats were systemically sensitized with donor skin (n = 25), brain tissue (n = 41), or spleen cells (n = 6) and compared with a control group of rats consisting of allografts with no sensitization or sham procedures (n = 23). Rejection of the transplants in BN rat hosts was not provoked by any of the sensitization methods tested. Minor immunological responses that did not result in rejection were, however, present in many host animals. We did not observe infiltration of W3/13+ T cells and OX8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes in any of the groups. Nevertheless, substantial infiltrations of OX6+ antigen-presenting cells and W3/25+ helper T cells were present. There was also an extensive enhancement of MHC class I immunoreactivity in parts of the grafted tissue developing within the third ventricle, but not for the same type of graft in the lateral ventricle. This increase of MHC class I expression was not accompanied by infiltration of cytotoxic T cells. Our findings thus suggest that neural graft rejection depends on general genetic susceptibility to immune reactions, particularly experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and not only on disparity between donor and host antigens encoded by the MHC. Moreover, enhancement of MHC class I and class II expression within transplanted tissue does not predict graft rejection.