Abstract
Summary and Conclusions
The effects of cobalt-60 gamma irradiation at 5000 R on the survival of skin allografts in adult Rana pipiens (leopard frog) were observed with the changes in the peripheral blood at 25 ± 1°. Graft survival was assessed by estimating the survival of melanocytes. Autografts healed and survived permanently. In nonirradiated control animals, median survival time (MST) of allografts was 14.25 days ± 1.5. In the group receiving total-body irradiation no graft rejection was observed at the time the frogs died, at the earliest on the 7th day postgrafting and the latest on the 20h day. By contrast, skin allografts in the partially irradiated and shielded group were rejected almost as rapidly (within 2 days), as those observed in unirradiated controls. The mean percent of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood declined sharply, but less in the partially shielded group. Little change was noted in the percentage of basophils, eosinophils, or monocytes but neutrophils seemed to increase. Bone marrow was sufficient to maintain the alloimmune mechanism and life itself.
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