IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO MURINE CELL-LINES OF GLIAL ORIGIN TRANSPLANTED INTO THE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM OF ADULT MICE

Temperature-sensitive simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen-transformed cen tral nervous system (CNS)-derived murine cell lines were used to analy se the host response to transplantation in the mouse adult brain. The cell lines were shown to be susceptible to immune recognition in vitro by cytotoxic effector cells indicating that tissue-specific privilege was not in operation. Histological examination at time points post-im plantation showed characteristic responses similar to those seen durin g graft rejection. Astrocytosis and up-regulation of major histocompat ibility complex (MHC) class I and MHC class II activation of resident microglia and recruitment of macrophages were observed in both allogen eic and syngeneic hosts 10 days post-implantation suggesting a trauma- induced response. However, the response in allogeneic hosts was more w idespread and evident when the syngeneic responses had returned to nor mal levels. Evidence of T-cell infiltration was also more pronounced i n the allogeneic hosts. Despite quite extensive host reactions to thes e cellular grafts at early time-points the implants appeared to surviv e in the host CNS long after the responses had abated and could be det ected at the maximum time-point studied of 40 days.