Differential Rejection of Neurones and Neuroglia in Canine Cardiac Allografts

Abstract

USING a free-grafting technique, Barnes¹ demonstrated that brain tissue is at least as antigenic as skin allografts in mice. After the grafting procedure the neuronal cells become necrotic in his experiments, whereas the associated neuroglia, being more resistant to ischaemic anoxia, survived. A second-set form of rejection was found on subsequent skin grafting. He concluded that in this type of brain allograft, antigenicity is dependent on viable glial tissue. Such free-grafting experiments however, give no indication of the reactions invoked by viable neurones. An answer to this problem is important in the consideration of integrated neural allografting as in whole nerve, heart and brain grafts, for example.