FAILURE OF RAT-KIDNEY NEPHRON COMPONENTS TO INDUCE ALLOGENEIC LYMPHOCYTES TO PROLIFERATE IN MIXED LYMPHOCYTE KIDNEY-CELL CULTURE

Rat kidney glomerular mesangial, glomerular epithelial, and tubular epithelial cells were isolated in virtually pure form and studied in mixed lymphocyte kidney cell culture (MLKC) for their ability to induce allogeneic spleen lymphocyte proliferation. The responses were compared with proliferative responses induced by allogeneic endothelial cells or spleen lymphocytes in the same strain combination. Stimulator cells were treated or left untreated with gamma-interferon, known to increase the major histocompatibility complex class II (and class I) expression of the stimulator cells. The results demonstrate that the nephron components are not able to induce lymphoproliferation in the MLKC. In contrast, the endothelial cells of rat heart were potent inducers of lymphoproliferation in mixed lymphocyte endothelial cell cultures (MLEC), as were allogeneic spleen cells. Although the kidney parenchymal cells have been shown to be immunogenic in vivo, the present finding suggests that they are unable to function as antigen-presenting cells on their own. © 1990 by Williams and Wilkins.