Natural killer cells do not mediate facial motoneuron survival after facial nerve transection

Abstract

The goal of the current study was to determine if natural killer (NK) cells mediate facial motoneuron (FMN) survival following injury. Wild-type (WT), perforin/recombinase activating gene-2 knockout ( pfp/RAG-2 KO), and common γ-chain (γc)/RAG-2 KO mice received a right facial nerve axotomy. In WT mice, FMN survival was 86 ± 1.0% relative to the contralateral control side. In contrast, pfp/RAG-2 and γc/RAG-2 KO mice exhibited significant decreases in FMN survival (∼20% and ∼30%, respectively), relative to WT. Reconstitution of pfp/RAG-2 and γc/RAG-2 KO mice with normal NK cells alone, failed to restore FMN survival levels to those of WT, but did restore functional lytic activity against YAC-1 cells. Reconstitution of pfp/RAG-2 and γc/RAG-2 KO mice with splenocytes, and pfp/RAG-2 KO mice with CD4 + T-lymphocytes alone or in combination with NK cells, restored FMN survival levels to those of WT. Thus, NK cells appear to not be a component of immune cell-mediated rescue of motoneurons from axotomy induced cell death.