Induction of lymphoid cell chimerism in noninbred, histocompatible rabbits. A new model for studying allotype suppression in the rabbit.

Noninbred rabbits, matched with regard to the major histocompatibility complex (RLA-A and RLA-D loci) but mismatched for Ig allotypes, served as donors (adult) and recipients (newborn) of lymphoid cells. Lasting chimerism regularly followed the transfer of 1 x 10(8)-3 x 10(8) spleen, lymph node, or bone marrow cells, as indicated by the continued production of Ig with allotypic determinants of both donor and recipient. Typically, Ig of donor allotype accounted for 25-50% of total allotypic Ig at 4 wk of age and the amount of donor Ig produced remained stable for up to 20 mo. Total allotypic Ig levels remained normal in the chimeric rabbits. "Chimeric drift" or a gradual diminution of donor products over a period of several months, occurred in some individuals. Transfer of lymphoid cells from allotype-suppressed adult donors to newborns of appropriate allotypes did not result in specific suppression of the target allotype in the recipients. Other experiments showed that lymphoid cells from suppressed donors adoptively transferred to histocompatible recipients continued to synthesize Ig of the nonsuppressed type only. The suitability of using an outbred population of histocompatible but allotype-mismatched rabbits for analyzing allotype suppression and other immunoregulatory phenomena is demonstrated by the results presented here.