Intravenous infusion of donor apoptotic leukocytes before transplantation delays allogeneic islet graft rejection through regulatory T cells

Aim: This study describes the ability of intravenous donor apoptotic leukocyte infusion before islet transplantation to delay allogeneic graft rejection and implicates regulatory T cells (T(reg)) in the effect.

Methods: Allogeneic FVB (Friend virus B-type) islet transplants were placed under the kidney capsule of BALB/c recipient mice rendered diabetic by streptozotocin. Apoptotic donor leukocytes were infused intravenously 7 days before transplantation. Foxp3/DTR/GFP transgenic C57BL/6 mice were used as recipients to show depletion of T(reg) after apoptotic cell infusion. Control mice received islet transplants without apoptotic cells.

Results: The graft median survival time (MST) in recipient mice was 15±1.5 days when apoptotic cells were infused 7 days prior to transplantation of a 1000-islet-containing allograft and 6±0.5 days in the control mice (P<0.01). The same effect was observed using a 500-islet allograft, with an MST of 9±1.1 days vs. 3±0.8 days with and without (controls) apoptotic cells, respectively (P<0.01). This immunomodulatory effect was not observed when apoptotic cell administration was performed on the day of transplantation. Specific T(reg) depletion in Foxp3/DTR/GFP recipient mice inhibited the beneficial effect of apoptotic cell infusion with an MST of 8±1.5 days after apoptotic cell infusion vs. 2±0.2 days when T(reg) were depleted (P<0.01). Furthermore, T(reg) were specifically detected in the islet grafts of mice infused with apoptotic cells prior to islet transplantation.

Conclusion: Infusion of donor apoptotic cells 7 days before allogeneic transplantation delays islet allograft rejection through a process involving T(reg).