Immune tolerance induced by combined heart-thymus transplantation for heart allograft in rats.
- Author:
Hai-Bo XIONG
1
;
Zu-Fa HUANG
;
Qi-Fa YE
;
Sui-Sheng XIA
Author Information
1. Institute of Transplantation, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China. haiboxiong@sohu.com
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
Animals;
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes;
immunology;
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes;
immunology;
Cyclosporine;
therapeutic use;
Graft Survival;
drug effects;
immunology;
Heart Transplantation;
Immune Tolerance;
drug effects;
immunology;
Immunosuppressive Agents;
therapeutic use;
Interleukin-2;
blood;
genetics;
Interleukin-4;
blood;
genetics;
Male;
Rats;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Rats, Wistar;
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction;
Thymectomy;
Thymus Gland;
transplantation;
Time Factors;
Transplantation Immunology;
immunology;
Transplantation, Homologous
- From:
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences)
2007;32(1):47-53
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE:To explore the role of combined heart-thymus transplantation for heart allograft in rats.
METHODS:Vascularized heart-thymus combined transplantation was performed with microsurgical technique. Graft survival, histopathology, infiltration of CD4+, CD8+ T cells, level and mRNA expressions of IL-2 and IL-4 in the serum and cardiac grafts were investigated.
RESULTS:Heart allograft in the controls had a survival time of (6.0+/-0.76) d. heart-thymus combined transplantation in non-thymectomized rats had a survival time of (6.88+/-0.64)d (P<0.05). Heart-thymus combined transplantation in thymectomized rats led to an evident survival time of (14.13+/-5.82)d (P<0.01) for cardiac graft, which further obtained long term survival after short course of treatment with cyclosporine. Pathologic lesion and infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in cardiac grafts showed mitigated in the long term survival group. IL-2 level in the serum and cardiac grafts maintained low level in the long term survival group, whereas IL-4 maintained high level.
CONCLUSION:Whether thymectomized or not in recipient rats, heart-thymus combined transplantation has a positive effect to protect cardiac graft. Furthermore, in thymectomized rats heart-thymus combined transplantation may lead to evident survival prolongation of the heart grafts, which induces immune tolerance in short course of treatment with cyclosporine.
