Selective abrogation of alloreactivity via priming in the presence of aphidicolin, a specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase

Aphidicolin, a specific and direct inhibitor of eukaryotic DNA polymerase alpha, was used to investigate its impact on immunologic reactions in vitro. Dose response curve of the inhibitory effect was studied in murine and human primary allogeneic responses, as well as the proliferative responses to both PHA and Con A mitogens. The presence of aphidicolin during the allosensitization phase in secondary MLR of mice splenocytes resulted in complete abolishment of the subsequent response directed against the priming alloantigens, whereas alloreactivity to unrelated alloantigen-bearing cells was inhibited to a much lesser degree. The allosensitized aphidicolin-treated cells lost the ability to respond to subsequent PHA stimulation, but were capable of exerting a high responsiveness to Con A. The presence of aphidicolin during the allosensitization phase in secondary MLR of human mononuclear cells resulted in markedly decreased alloreactivity directed against the priming cells, but spared the subsequent response to unrelated alloantigens and to both PHA and Con A mitogenic stimuli. It is suggested that aphidicolin may be used for selective inactivation of proliferating cells without interfering with immunologic functions of other quiescent subsets. Aphidicolin may thus be a useful agent for induction of specific unresponsiveness in experimental models of allogeneic transplantation.