Effect of operation-synchronizing transfusion of apoptotic spleen cells from donor rats on acute rejection of recipient rats after liver transplantation.

AIM: To study effect of operation-synchronizing transfusion of apoptotic spleen cells from donor rats on acute rejection of recipient rats after liver transplantation.
METHODS: Two of Wistar rats were chosen randomly for normal liver pathology control and ten of SD rats chosen randomly for liver function control as blank group (no operation). The rest of Wistar and SD rats were divided into four groups: control group (only liver transplantation), Dex group (donors receiving intraperitoneal injection of dexamethasone), SpC group (recipients receiving infusion of spleen cells of donors), Dex-SpC group (recipients receiving infusion of apoptotic spleen cells of donors), with each group except blank group, containing 10 SD rats and 10 Wistar rats, respectively. Wistar rats received liver transplantation from SD rats, in the meantime they received infusion of spleen cells of donors, which were induced by an intraperitoneal injection of dexamethasone (3 mg/(d.kg).b.w) for three days before liver transplantation. The serum alanine transaminase (ALT), total bilirubin (T bili), liver pathological changes and survival time were analysed. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 10.0 for Windows. Differences of the parametric data of ALT in means were examined by one-way ANOVA. Differences of ALT between two groups were examined by LSD. Differences of the nonparametric data of T bili in means and scores of pathology classification for acute rejection were examined by Kruskal-Willis H test. The correlations between ALT and T bili were analysed by Bivariate. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to demonstrate survival distribution. The log-rank test was used to compare the survival data.
RESULTS: There were significant differences in ALT of the five groups (F = 23.164 P = 0.000), and ALT in Dex-SpC group was significantly higher than that in blank control, control, Dex, and SpC groups (P = 0.000), and ALT in SpC group was significantly higher than that in blank control (P = 0.000), control (P = 0.004), and Dex groups (P = 0.02). Results of nonparametric analysis of T bili showed that there were differences in T bili of the five groups (chi(2) = 33.265 P = 0.000). T bili in Dex-SpC group was significantly higher than that in blank control, control, Dex, and SpC groups. T bili in SpC group was higher than that in blank control, control, and Dex groups. There were significant differences in scores of pathology classification for acute rejection in each of the groups (chi(2) = 25.933,P = 0.000). The pathologically more serious acute rejection was found in Dex-SPC group than in other groups. No sign of acute rejection was observed in the blank control group. Slight acute rejection was observed in the control group. Slight-moderate acute rejection was observed in the Dex group. Moderate-acute rejection was observed in the SpC group. Severe-acute rejection was observed in the Dex-SpC group. The survival time in Dex-SpC group was shorter than in other groups (statistic = 11.13, P = 0.011). ALT and T bili were positively correlated (r = 0.747, P = 0.000, two-tailed).
CONCLUSION: In order to reduce quantity of blood loss from rats after liver transplantation, only one of ALT or T bili is needed for liver function measurement of rats. Simultaneous injection of apoptotic spleen cells from donors induced by dexamethasone to liver transplantation rats aggravates acute rejection. One important mechanism of aggravation of acute rejection may be that apoptotic cells are not removed in time and that dead cells including apoptotic cells release inflammatory factors.