Migration of rat skin dendritic cells

Abstract

Abstract: This study examines the in vivo migration ofrat skin dendritic cells (including Langerhans cells) after skin transplantation. As donor animals, PVG-RT7b rats were used. The leukocytes of these rats bear an epitope of the leukocyte common antigen that can be recognized by use ofthe antibody His 41. The cells of allogeneic (AC!) recipient strains do not label with this antibody. Four days after transplanta-tion of PVG-RT7b skin on allogeneic recipients, His 41 + cells showing a dendritic morphology were pre-sent in the T cell area of the draining lymph nodes. During culture of rat skin explants, dendritic cells migrated spontaneously into the medium. These in vitro migrated cells showed a high capacity to stimu-late allogeneic T cells. When these cells, obtained from PVG-RT7b skin, were injected into the hind footpads of allogeneic recipients, they migrated to the same compartments of the draining lymph node. These data indicate that the cells that migrate from a transplanted allogeneic skin graft are the same cells that migrate in vitro from explants. Most probably, they initiate graft rejection in the draining lymph nodes ofthe recipient.J. Leukoc. Rio!. 60: 3 17-322