Increased Expression Of Non-interleukin-2 T Cell Growth Factors And Their Implications During Liver Allograft Rejection In The Rats

Purpose: The aim of this study was to use of the rejection models in the rats in this Key Lab of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation , then to investigate the roles of non-IL-2 T cell growth factors such as IL-15, IL-7 and IL-13 during rejection.Methods: To use of the liver transplant model in rats combination of Dark Agouti to Brown Norway. Divided the rats into three groups: group A, left without treatment, group B, received cyclosporine (1 mg/kg/d), and group C, cyclosporine (4 mg/kg/d). Histopathological, Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction and Western blot were performed in liver specimens got from different time-points after transplantation in the three groups.Results: In group A, the livers showed irreversible acute cellular rejection with cell infiltration. In group B, chronic liver rejection was found, with graft infiltration, ductular damage or proliferation, obliterative arteriopathy, and liver fibrosis. No apparent histological alterations were observed in group C.IL-15, IL-7 and IL-13 messenger RNA and their protein were all highly expressed in the liver specimens of groups A and B. Up-regulated expression was found in IL-15 since the first day after transplantation, while in IL-7 and IL-13 since day 6. The extent of IL-15 up-regulation was more than these of IL-7 and IL-13.Conclusions: 1. In the process of acute and chronic allograft rejections, non-IL-2 T cell growth factors such as IL-15, IL-7 and IL-13 play roles.2. Strategies should be paid more attention on regulating these cytokines after liver transplantation.