Cell-based kidney transplantation in adult Danio rerio (TRAN3P.879)

Abstract

Abstract With the increasing incidence of kidney disease and the growing list of patients in line for kidney transplantation, new methods to restore renal function are critical. An alternative method to whole-organ transplant involves the transplantation of individual cells. Here we show a new approach to the transplantation of kidney cells in zebrafish, Danio rerio. This method involves the transplantation of kidney cells from the donor fish by direct injection into the recipient kidney. The donor zebrafish were transgenic, their cells labeled with green fluorescent protein. Both renal and hematopoetic progenitor cells were isolated from the donor kidney and prepared for transplantation in an injection solution. The recipient fish were treated with gentamicin and immunosuppressed with 10 μg/ml dexamethasone for 2 days. Upon injection of 0.1-0.5 million allogeneic cells via the dorsum of the fish into the head kidney, anesthetized Danio rerio regained complete swimming abilities within 5 min. Seven out of nine fish survived the procedure. The fish were allowed to recover for 10 days, leaving time for the transplant cells to implant. Then the fish were euthanized and a renal biopsy was performed and visualized using a fluorescent microscope. The formation of new fluorescent renal tubules was observed and analyzed. Although further research must be done to refine this technique, we demonstrated that cell-based kidney transplant is a promising alternative to whole-organ transplant.