L-leucyl-L-leucine methyl ester treatment of canine marrow and peripheral blood cells. Inhibition of proliferative responses with maintenance of the capacity for autologous marrow engraftment.

Incubation of canine marrow and peripheral blood mononuclear cells with L-leucyl-L-leucine methyl ester resulted in the inhibition of mitogen- and alloantigen-induced blastogenesis, the elimination of allosensitized CTL and NK activity, and prevented the development of CTL from pCTL. The effects of these incubations were similar to those described in mice and humans. Additionally, in vitro CFU-GM growth from treated canine marrow was reduced, but could be regained when the Leu-Leu-OMe-treated marrow was cocultured with either untreated autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells or monocyte-enriched PBMC but not with untreated monocyte-depleted PBMC. Six of seven dogs conditioned with 920 cGy total-body irradiation engrafted successfully after receiving autologous marrow that was incubated with Leu-Leu-OMe prior to infusion. These cumulative results indicate that incubation with Leu-Leu-OMe is a feasible method to deplete canine marrows of alloreactive and cytotoxic T cells prior to transplantation.