Biology ETDs

Publication Date

7-22-1976

Abstract

The most desirable way of treating endocrine deficiencies would be by the successful transplantation of functional endocrine tissue into the deficient animal. However, unless the donor and recipient are identical twins or from an inbred strain of animals, an immune response is usually elicited in the recipient by the foreign tissues leading to rejection of the transplant. Thyroid gland cells which have been enzymatically dispersed from thyroid tissue and cultured in vitro are capable of reforming functional thyroid tissue when implanted into animals of the same strain. The purpose of this work was to test the ability of cultured thyroid cells to establish functional glands when transplanted into closely related strains and non-related species. All transplants of sheep thyroid cells and pieces, as well as those of rabbit thyroid cells into thyroidectomized Holtzman rats were completely rejected or in advanced stages of rejection. None were functional. Transplants of Sprague-Dawley thyroid cells into thyroidectomized Holtzman rats were accepted and functional in 10 of 19 cases. The transplants of Sprague-Dawley pieces into thyroidectomized Holtzman rats were accepted in 4 of 21 cases. Transplants of Fisher thyroid cells into thyroidectomized Holtzman rats were rejected in all cases, but similar transplants of Fisher thyroid pieces were accepted and functional in 6 of 11 cases. Transplants of Holtzman thyroid cells into thyroidectomized Sprague-Dawley rats were all rejected or in some advanced stage of rejection. None were functional. The time cells were in culture was not clearly related to success of transplantation.

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Biology

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

UNM Biology Department

First Committee Member (Chair)

Paul Richard Kerkof

Second Committee Member

Gordon Verle Johnson

Third Committee Member

Marvin LeRoy Riedesel

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