Graft irradiation abrogates graft-versus-host disease in combined pancreas-spleen transplantation

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · J. Surg. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-4804(86)90195-2· OSTI ID:5525261

Schulak, J A; Sharp, W J

A model of combined pancreas-spleen transplantation (PST) was studied in LBN F1 recipients of Lewis grafts in order to evaluate the efficacy of pretransplant graft irradiation in preventing lethal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Recipients of unmodified PST uniformly developed severe GVHD and died (MST = 16.7 +/- 3.8 days). Whole body donor irradiation with either 500 or 250 rad prevented lethal GVHD. Similarly, ex vivo graft irradiation with either 1000 or 500 rad also resulted in normal weight gain, graft function, and host survival for the 6-week study period. Conversely, delay of graft irradiation until 3 days after transplantation failed to prevent this complication (MST = 15.8 +/- 3.7 days). Recipients of irradiated grafts displayed glucose tolerance tests that were identical to those in the control group indicating that the doses of radiation employed in these experiments were not deleterious to islet function. Irradiated spleen grafts appeared histologically normal at 6 weeks after transplantation. Cells derived from these grafts failed to stimulate lymph node enlargement in a popliteal lymph node assay for GVHD, suggesting that these spleens may have become repopulated with host cells. These experiments confirm that PST has the potential to cause lethal GVHD and suggest that pretransplant graft irradiation may be used to prevent its occurrence.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City
• OSTI ID: 5525261
• Journal Information: J. Surg. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Surg. Res.; (United States) Vol. 4; ISSN JSGRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560152* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Animals
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MODELS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DOSES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
GLANDS
GRAFT-HOST REACTION
GRAFTS
IRRADIATION
LYMPH NODES
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
MAMMALS
ORGANS
PANCREAS
PHENOTYPE
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RATS
RODENTS
SPLEEN
TRANSPLANTS
VERTEBRATES
WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION