TRACKING OF MURINE SPLEEN-CELLS IN-VIVO - DETECTION OF PKH26-LABELED CELLS IN THE PANCREAS OF NONOBESE DIABETIC (NOD) MICE

Flow cytometry was used to track the in vivo migration of PKH26-labele d donor spleen cells from diabetic NOD mice that were injected into no n-diabetic recipient NOD mice. Flow cytometric analysis of recipient m ouse tissues revealed that the donor cells were present in the periphe ral blood, spleen and lymph nodes 24 h following injection and could s till be detected after 28 days. PKH26(+) cells were also detectable in the pancreas 7 days after injection. Phenotypic analysis of the PKH26 (+) cells that migrated into these target organs and tissues showed th at the major cell population detected was Thy1.2(+) T-lymphocytes, pre dominantly the Thy1.2(+)/L3T4(+) subpopulation, but Thy1.2(+)/Lyt2(+) cells as well as B220(+) cells (B lymphocytes) were also present.