ANALYSIS OF SURVIVAL OF ALLOGENEIC FETAL LIVER FRAGMENTS IN RATS

The survival of allogeneic fetal liver fragments in the omentum was an alyzed in rats. The lymphocyte subsets of the spleen and peripheral bl ood were also examined. When the fetal liver fragments were transplant ed into the omentum, they survived for 2 wk, whereas adult liver fragm ents survived only 1 wk. In fetal liver fragments transplantation, the CD8 positive lymphocyte percentage in peripheral blood decreased sign ificantly 3 wk after transplantation in comparison with that in adult liver fragment transplantation. The skin graft of the donor party show ed a longer median survival time in rats receiving fetal liver fragmen t transplants than that in recipients of adult liver fragments. Althou gh further study is needed, allogeneic fetal liver fragments survived longer in the omentum than reported elsewhere, and the decrease of CD8 positive peripheral blood lymphocytes may have been the reason for th is.