LEUKOCYTE DNA-SYNTHESIS IN GRAFTED LUMBRICIDS - APPROACH TO STUDY HISTOCOMPATIBILITY IN INVERTEBRATES

We describe a simple technique for quickly determining graft reactivity in the earthworm Eisenia fetida andrei by incubating leukocytes for 16 hours in vitro with 3H-thymidine. This in vitro technique does not kill the reacting worms and the anesthesia (chloroform and low temperature) caused neither muscular contractions nor loss of coelomocytes. Stimulation of DNA-synthesis induced by allo- or xeno-antigens was only detected in the subpopulation of non-adherent leukocytes (NAL). Maximum stimulation was measured 4 days after first-set grafting in allo- as well as in xeno-combinations and, in both cases, the magnitudes of NAL incorporations were comparable. © 1979 Pergamon Press Ltd. All rights reserved.