| First Author | Halder RC | Year | 1998 |
| Journal | Clin Exp Immunol | Volume | 114 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 434-47 |
| PubMed ID | 9844055 | Mgi Jnum | J:51330 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1315107 | Doi | 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1998.00726.x |
| Citation | Halder RC, et al. (1998) Characterization of NK cells and extrathymic T cells generated in the liver of irradiated mice with a liver shield. Clin Exp Immunol 114(3):434-47 |
| abstractText | We previously reported that c-kit+ stem cells which give rise to extrathymic T cells are present in the liver of adult mice. Further characterization of extrathymic T cells in the liver of adult mice is conducted here. When mice with a liver shield were lethally (9.5 Gy) irradiated, all mice survived. All tested organs showed a distribution pattern of hepatic lymphocytes on day 7. The distribution pattern in the liver was characterized by an abundance of NK (CD3- IL-2Rbeta+) and extrathymic T cells (CD3int IL-2Rbeta+) before and after irradiation. To determine their function, post-irradiation allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) was performed in mice with or without a liver shield. Allogeneic BM cells were rejected in mice with a liver shield and specific activation of CD8+ CD3int IL-2Rbeta+ cells was induced. At that time, potent cytotoxicity of liver mononuclear cells (MNC) against allogeneic thymocytes was induced. Both NK1.1+ and NK1.1- subsets of CD3int cells expanded in these mice. An in vivo elimination experiment of the subsets indicated that the NK1.1+ subset of CD3int cells (i.e. NK T cells) was much more associated with the rejection of allogeneic BM cells. However, even after the elimination of NK T cells, allogeneic BM cells were rejected. In this case, granulocytes expanded in parallel with NK1.1- subsets. Granulocytes may also be associated with the rejection of allogeneic BM cells. These results suggest that the liver is an important haematopoietic organ even in adult life. |
