Homotransplantation Immunity of Neonatal Rabbits.

Abstract

Neonatal rabbits in the first week of life were found to reject neonatal or adult grafts significantly more rapidly than adults grafted with homologous adult or neonatal skin. Transplantation immunity comparable to adult rabbits was observed in 2-week-old rabbits. Sublethal irradiation of recipient animals prior to skin grafting resulted in a 2-fold prolongation of graft survival in adults, but only a 50% prolongation in 1-week and 2-week-old neonatal recipients.