Xenotransplantation of porcine organs has the potential to overcome the severe shortage of human tissues and organ available for human transplantation. however, it remains various hurdles for clinical xenotransplantation. In pig and mouse xenotranspla...
Xenotransplantation of porcine organs has the potential to overcome the severe shortage of human tissues and organ available for human transplantation. however, it remains various hurdles for clinical xenotransplantation. In pig and mouse xenotransplantation, porcine xenograft evoke a strong cellular rejection response in immunocompetent host and grafts are destroyed within a week. This cellular immune response could involved both T cells and NK cells. A number of groups have shown that human NK cells can recognize and damage porcine endothelial cells. In addition, human T cells can respond to porcine endothelial cells through both direct and indirect mechanisms. Cellular rejection of porcine tissues requires T cells, particularly CD4^(+) cells. A new cytokine recombinant human interleukin-32α,β(IL-32α,β) has a role innate and acquired immune system. In order to investigate the role of recombinant mouse IL-18 and recombinant human IL-32α,β in xenograft rejection, we transplanted the PK(15) cells to C57BL/6 mice with or without intraperitoneal injection of recombinant mouse IL-18 or recombinant human IL-32 α,β. It was analyzed the population of NK cell, T cell and B cell in the C57BL/6 mice transplanted with PK(15) cells and recombinant mouse IL-18 or recombinant human IL-32α,β by flow cytometry analysis. As a result, lymph node and thymus of PK15/IL18, PK15/IL32α and PK15/IL32β injected group were increased to T cell activation population than normal injected groups. CD8^(+) T cells were decreased in lymph node of PK15/IL18, PK15/IL32α and PK15/IL32β injected groups. CD4^(+) T cells were increased in lymph node cell of PK15/IL32α and PK15/IL32β injected group and also, B cell population were increased in lymph node cell and spleen of PK15/IL18, PK15/IL32α and PK15/IL32β injected group. Therefore, we suggest that recombinant mouse IL-18 and recombinant human IL-32α,β suppress xenograft rejection in cellular xenotransplantation.