Three-dimensional morphological analysis of antigen-antibody reaction in hepatic sinusoids preserved in hypothermic UW solution.

ICAM-1 antigen-antibody reaction was visualized by three-dimensional immunoscanning electron microscopy of hepatic sinusoids in rat liver treated with hypothermic University of Wisconsin (UW) organ preservation solution. The results were compared with similar antigen-antibody reactions carried out with immunoliposomes injected in vivo. Morphologically, the hepatic sinusoids were preserved well during the hypothermic procedure. Endothelial cells had a large number of fenestrations, which partly aggregated and formed sieve plates. ICAM-1 expression was induced by injection of LPS and detected by monoclonal antibody in the UW solution followed by gold-labeled secondary antibody. ICAM-1 was restricted mostly to the unique areas of sieve plates with immature, small fenestrations. A similar distribution of ICAM-1 was present when detected by in vivo injection of immunoliposomes containing the monoclonal ICAM-1 antibody. The results showed that antigen-antibody reactions can take place in livers preserved in hypothermic UW solution. Further, the reaction is similar to that which could occur in vivo during transplantation. This suggests that it may be possible to block potentially harmful antigen-antibody reactions by addition of appropriate antibodies to hypothermic UW solution prior to transplantation.