The loss of regenerated host axons in nerve allografts after stopping immunosuppression with cyclosporin A is related to immune effects on allogeneic Schwann cells.

After immunosuppressive therapy with Cyclosporin A (Cy-A) is stopped, nerve allograft rejection occurs. In addition to the loss of allogeneic perineurial, vascular, and Schwann cells, host axons that regenerate into the allograft disappear despite the fact that the axons are not foreign tissue. The present experiment was performed to correlate immune events and allogeneic cell and host axonal loss in nerve allografts after terminating Cy-A treatment. Nerve grafts (4 cm long) were taken from American Cancer Institute (ACI) rats and joined to the peroneal nerves of Fischer (FR) or ACI rats that received a daily dose of Cy-A (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). After one week, Cy-A therapy was stopped and the grafts were examined 2-6 weeks postoperatively by light and electron microscopy. No immune reaction nor destruction of perineural, vascular, or Schwann cells was found in 2- or 3-week-old allografts (i.e., ACI to FR grafts). These grafts underwent Wallerian degeneration and were invaded proximally by regenerating host axons, some of which were thinly myelinated. At 4 weeks, the perineurium of each allograft became infiltrated by mononuclear cells and was destroyed. Many of the endoneurial blood vessels of these grafts were occluded and their endothelial cells were degenerating or missing. Despite the immune reaction, allogeneic Schwann cells remained and continued to myelinate or ensheath host axons that had now grown up to 3 cm into the grafts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)