Immune reactivity after high-dose irradiation

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Transplantation; (United States)

OSTI ID:5528331

Gassmann, W; Wottge, H U; von Kolzynski, M; Mueller-Ruchholtz, W

Immune reactivity after total-body irradiation was investigated in rats using skin graft rejection as the indicator system. After sublethal irradiation with 10.5 Gy (approximately 50% lethality/6 weeks) the rejection of major histocompatibility complex allogeneic skin grafts was delayed significantly compared with nonirradiated control animals (28 versus 6.5 days). In contrast, skin grafts were rejected after 7.5 days in sublethally irradiated animals and 7 days in lethally irradiated animals if additional skin donor type alloantigens--namely, irradiated bone marrow cells--were given i.v. either simultaneously or with a delay of not more than 24 hr after the above conditioning regimen. These reactions were alloantigen-specific. They were observed in six different strain combinations with varying donors and recipients. Starting on day 2 after irradiation, i.v. injection of bone marrow gradually lost its effectivity and skin grafts were no longer rejected with uniform rapidity; skin donor marrow given on days 4 or 8 did not accelerate skin graft rejection at all. These data show that for approximately 1-2 days after high-dose total-body irradiation rats are still capable of starting a vigorous immune reaction against i.v.-injected alloantigens. The phenomenon of impaired rejection of skin grafted immediately after high-dose irradiation appears to result from the poor accessibility of skin graft alloantigens during the early postirradiation phase when vascularization of the grafted skin is insufficient.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Kiel, Germany, F.R.
• OSTI ID: 5528331
• Journal Information: Transplantation; (United States), Journal Name: Transplantation; (United States) Vol. 3; ISSN TRPLA
• 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.
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
GRAFT-HOST REACTION
GRAFTS
IMMUNITY
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION
IRRADIATION
LETHAL IRRADIATION
MAMMALS
ORGANS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RATS
RETICULOENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM
RODENTS
SKIN
SUBLETHAL IRRADIATION
TISSUES
TRANSPLANTS
VERTEBRATES
WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION