Host response during successful engraftment of fetal xenogenic astrocytes: predominance of microglia and macrophages.

Grafting of fetal rabbit brain fragments into the brains of newborn mice results in the successful establishment and migration of xenogenic astrocytes in the majority of recipients. This can be demonstrated by the use of Tp-GFAP1 monoclonal antibody which binds with rabbit, but not with murine glial fibrillary acidic protein. In the first phase, donor astrocytes are found in more than 80% of recipients 3 and 4 weeks after grafting. In the second phase, there is a decline and disappearance of donor astrocytes by the tenth week. We have recently demonstrated that the decline and disappearance of donor astrocytes was co-incident with infiltration of T cells into the brain, compatible with T-cell-mediated graft rejection. In the present studies, we wished to characterize the types of host cells responding during the period of graft success, in the first 4 weeks after transplantation. It was found that responses by microglia, macrophages, and astrocytes occurred promptly and were sustained throughout this period. Host responses occurred at the graft site and at sites of migration. Examination of sham transplanted control mice revealed responses by the same types of cells. No expression of donor Ia antigen was observed, and the expression of Ia antigen by the host was variable and of low magnitude. T cells were rarely present in transplanted brains during this period. Taken together with previous findings, the present studies demonstrate a clear difference in the host response in the brain at the time when xenogenic astrocytes migrate and survive compared to the period when they disappear.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)