Different characters of spleen OX-62 positive dendritic cells between Fischer and Lewis rats

The phenotype, DNA-binding activities of NF-kappaB, cytokine production, endocytosis and stimulatory capacity of spleen OX-62-positive dendritc cells (SDCs) from Fischer rats were compared with those from Lewis rats. Results showed that the expressions of CD11b, MHC-II, CD8, CD45RA, CD54 and CD86 on SDCs were significantly higher in Fischer than those in Lewis rats. The levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-gamma in SDCs from Fischer rats were distinctly higher than those from Lewis. Both stimulatory capacity and DNA-binding activities of NF-kappaB in SDCs were all lower in Fischer than those in Lewis rats. These differences may partly contribute to rat strain-specificity in susceptibility to chronic inflammatory stimuli.