1998 Volume 186 Issue 1 Pages 1-11
Five male and 7 female Lewis rats unilaterally nephrectomized at the ages of 44-46 days were transplanted with the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) obtained from syngeneic rats 4 months after the nephrectomy. In addition, 6 males received unilateral nephrectomy plus splenectomy at the age of 38 days. All of these rats were observed for 8.5 months after the nephrectomy. Flow cytometry analyses indicated that 17-32% of MLN lymphocytes and 4-20% of peripheral blood (PB) lymphocytes lost CD2 antigen in the unilaterally nephrectomized rats. Approximately 20% of PB and MLN lymphocytes had lost CD2 antigen in the males with combined splenectomy and nephrectomy, one of which died of severe infection. The survival rates of the MLN graft after 4.5 months were 100% in the 5 nephrectomized males and 14% in the 7 nephrectomized females. The CD2 antigen on immunologically activated T cells was up-regulated. Twenty-eight% lymphocytes of the survived MLN graft and 51% PB T cells of the 7 females with MLN graft rejection showed the CD2 up-regulation. It was shown immunohistochemically that not only CD2-positive (+) cells but also CD4+ cells were increased in the cortex of the survived MLN graft. The hepatocyte growth factor receptor gene, c-met gene, was shown to be present in lymphocytes. The c-met was considered to cooperate with the CD2. Interstitial mononuclear cell infiltrations with glomerulosclerosis were found in the remaining kidneys of the males with unilateral nephrectomy plus MLN grafts. Glomerular angiogenesis and accompaning endothelial cell apoptosis were demonstrated without mesangial cell proliferation in the males with unilateral nephrectomy plus splenectomy.
