Survival of cultured plant cells grafted into the subcutaneous tissue of rats (Preliminary report)

To evaluate the survival of plant tissue in an animal environment, cultured calli from a Mexican medicinal plant (Mimosa tenuiflora Poir) were transplanted under sterile conditions into the subcutaneous tissue of rats. Microscopic studies of grafted areas were carried out at the 30th, 60th and 120th days after transplantation. Histological evidence of plant graft survival was found in specimens of all groups. During the first month of subcutaneous grafting a moderate inflammatory reaction around the callus was observed characterized by the presence of polymorphonuclear cells and some macrophages and the formation of a fibrous capsule. Nevertheless, the plant grafts remained viable and a decrease of the inflammatory reaction around the callus was observed in the specimens during the following months. In the fourth month specimens the formation of blood vessels inside the grafted plant tissue was observed. Once removed from rats, plant tissues showed high viability according to the fluorescein test. These calli were then transfered to the original in vitro medium showing growth capacity during the following weeks. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that cultivated cells of higher plants survive in an animal environment, suggesting the possibility to utilize pharmacologically active plant transplants in animals, a technique proposed here as inter-regni transplants. Further studies are required to explore this new field of research that opens numerous questions about plant-animal cellular interaction.