ABSTRACT
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) demonstrate functions of immunologic regulation. However, little is known about the role of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on MSCs and whether MSCs alone can prevent allograft rejection. We purified MSCs, which were or were not treated with IFN-gamma, to act as regulatory cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions. We measured their expression of PDL-1, MHC-I, MHC-II, CD40, CD54, and CD86. The MSCs stained with carboxyfluorescein diacetate-succinimidyl ester were used to detect homing in vivo. The MSCs were injected into an orthotopic liver transplantation model. The result suggested that IFN-gamma enhances expression of PDL-1, MHC-I, MHC-II, and CD54 and boosts immunosuppressive ability in vivo. The MSCs demonstrated homing to the liver, alleviating acute immunologic rejection of an hepatic graft in rats. We conclude that IFN-gamma may enhance the immunosuppressive function of MSCs to protect liver allografts in rats from acute immunologic rejection.
