Feeding NOD mice with pig splenocytes induces transferable mechanisms that modulate cellular and humoral xenogeneic reactions against pig spleen or islet cells.

SUMMARY We have reported previously that oral administration of pig cells to NOD mice modified xenogeneic cellular response against pig islet cells (PICs), and hypothesized that it may have induced active suppression. This preliminary report evaluated only the effect of feeding pig cells by ‘primary’ proliferation, i.e. when splenocytes from fed mice are confronted with pig cells in vitro. The present study also considered ‘secondary’ proliferation and cytokine production after feeding and subsequent in vivo graft of pig cells. Additionally, serum IgM and IgG isotypes were quantified by ELISA using pig target cells. Induction of active mechanism by feeding was hypothetical, which led us here to transfer splenocytes from mice fed pig spleen cells (PSC) and evaluate ‘primary’ (after transfer) and ‘secondary’ (after transfer and subsequent graft of pig cells) proliferations and cytokine secretions in recipient mice. We also determined whether the effects of feeding pig cells persisted after depression of suppressor mechanisms by cyclophosphamide. Mice fed with PSC displayed increased ‘primary’ splenocyte proliferation to PSC or PIC (P < 0·0001), while ‘secondary’ responses were decreased (P < 0·03) in those fed PSC and subsequently grafted with PSC. The increased ‘primary’ and decreased ‘secondary’ proliferations were reduced (P < 0·04) by pretreatment with cyclophosphamide. The IL-10/ and IL-4/IFNγ ratios produced in response to PSC increased (P < 0·04) in mice fed and grafted with PSC compared to those grafted only with PSC. IgM and IgG levels against pig cells were, respectively, increased (P < 0·04) and decreased (P < 0·04) in mice fed and grafted with PSC. IgG2a and IgG2b, but not IgG1, levels were lower (P < 0·01). These effects of feeding PSC on ‘secondary’ proliferation, cytokine and antibody productions, were not detected when mice were fed PSC only after graft with PSC. Transfer with splenocytes from mice fed PSC increased ‘primary’ proliferation of splenocytes from recipient mice in response to PSC (P < 0·02) or PIC (P < 0·05). After transfer with splenocytes from PSC-fed mice and graft with PSC, ‘secondary’ proliferation to pig cells were reduced (P < 0·04), and the IL-10/IFNγ ratio produced in response to PSC was increased fourfold. Thus, oral administration of PSC induces active transferable mechanisms, characterized by a biphasic pattern with early increased ‘primary’ xenogeneic cellular reactions to both PSC and PIC, followed by decreased ‘secondary’ responsiveness and a concomitant shift of the Th1/Th2 balance towards greater Th2 influence. Decreased responsiveness may be due to active suppression, even though induction of anergy or deletion cannot be excluded.