Objective To construct PD-L1^hitol-DC derived from bone marrow of DA rats and identify its immunological function.

Methods DA rat bone marrow cells were extracted, combined with recombinant mouse granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and recombinant mouse interleukin (IL)-4, and cultured for 6 days in vitro to induce the differentiation of bone marrow cells into immature dendritic cells (imDC). Lipopolysaccharide was used to stimulate cell maturation and cultured for 2 days to collect mature dendritic cells (mDC). Programmed cell death protein-ligand 1 (PD-L1) lentiviral vector virus stock solution or equivalent dose lentiviral stock solution was added, and PD-L1^hitol-DC and Lv-imDC were collected after culture for 2 days. The morphology of PD-L1^hitol-DC was observed by inverted phase contrast microscope and transmission electron microscope. Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blot and flow cytometry were used to detect the expression level of specific markers on cell surface. CD8⁺T cells derived from Lewis rat spleen were co-cultured with imDC, mDC, Lv-imDC and PD-L1^hitol-DC, respectively. The levels of inflammatory factors in the supernatant of each group were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The apoptosis of T cells and the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Treg) in each group were analyzed by flow cytometry.

Results The morphology of PD-L1^hitol-DC modified by PD-L1 gene was consistent with tol-DC characteristics, and the expression levels of CD80, CD86 and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on the surface were low. After mixed culture with CD8⁺ T cells, the levels of IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF) -β in the supernatant of PD-L1^hitol-DC group were higher, the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α and IL-17 were lower, and the apoptosis of T cells and Treg differentiation were increased.

Conclusions Overexpression of PD-L1 through lentiviral vectors may successfully induce the construction of bone-marrow derived PD-L1^hitol-DC in DA rats, promote the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors and T cell apoptosis, induce the differentiation of Treg, and inhibit the immune response of allogeneic CD8⁺T cells, which provides experimental basis for the next organ transplantation immune tolerance study.