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Updated: Feb 23, 2026
A Rat Orthotopic Renal Transplantation Model for Renal Allograft Rejection
Published on: February 2, 2022
Intragraft cytokine expression and tolerance induction in rat renal allografts
1Division of Transplant Surgery, Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, 23298-0254, USA.
Background:
Intragraft cytokine expression was evaluated in a model of renal transplantation. ACI and Lewis rats were used as donors and recipients, respectively, for heterotopic renal transplantation.
Methods:
Treated allograft rats (n=10) received a preoperative dose of rapamycin and cyclosporine, followed by 7 days of cyclosporine postoperatively. Isograft rats (n=5) and control allograft rats (n=4) received no immunosuppression. Sacrifice was performed after 120 days. Expression of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) transcripts was determined with semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
All treated allograft rats had normal function with 50% histologic rejection. All isografts had normal function. IL-4 and IL-10 were in greater density in allografts with normal histology, whereas IFN-gamma was only seen in allografts with cellular rejection. No IL-10 was seen in isografts, but IL-4 was detected in 3/5 isografts.
Conclusions:
We conclude that the lymphocyte population's elaboration of IL-4 and IL-10 is associated with tolerance, whereas the production of IFN-gamma and absence of IL-4 is associated with histology suggestive of acute cellular rejection.
