Description

About the Lewis Rat

The Lewis rat is an inbred, albino laboratory strain known for its distinct immunological characteristics. As an inbred strain, Lewis rats are genetically nearly identical within the same strains, minimizing experimental variation and enabling highly reproducible research results.　This genetic consistency is particularly crucial in immunological studies where individual genetic differences can significantly impact experimental outcomes. It serves as a cornerstone model in preclinical research due to its strong cellular immune responses, which are predominantly skewed towards T Helper 1 (TH1) type reactions. This specific immune profile makes the Lewis rat highly susceptible to the induction of various autoimmune diseases, providing researchers with a robust and reproducible platform for study. 

Application Summary for Lewis Rat PBMCs

The unique immunological properties of Lewis Rat PBMCs make them an invaluable tool across multiple research domains. In autoimmune disease modeling, they are central to studies of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) for Multiple Sclerosis, used to characterize infiltrating lymphocytes and test new treatments. For Rheumatoid Arthritis, gene expression profiling of PBMCs in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) models helps identify biomarkers. The Lewis rat model is also used to study autoimmune glomerulonephritis. In transplantation research, Lewis rat PBMCs are used to investigate immune tolerance mechanisms and develop strategies to prevent organ rejection, with documented applications in donor-specific tolerance induction protocols. The Lewis rat’s established susceptibility to autoimmune conditions continues to make it a preferred model for immunological research applications. 

Isolation of PBMCs 

Peripheral blood is obtained from responsible facilities that have many years of experience collecting samples. 

Once the blood is received at our lab, PBMCs are isolated by performing density centrifugation with Ficoll, a high molecular weight sucrose solution, to remove red blood cells under sterile conditions. Rat specific optimized Ficoll density gradient is used, resulting in a defined layer of mononuclear cells that are separated from plasma, platelets, granulocytes, and erythrocytes. Additional quality control measures are taken to isolate and prepare PBMCs that ensure the highest viability for cryopreservation and downstream experimental applications. 

Cryopreservation and Storage

Our Lewis Rat PBMCs are cryopreserved carefully using iQ Biosciences’ cryopreservation protocol that ensures high viability (> 80%) after thawing. 

Cells should be stored at < -120°C once they are received, such as within a liquid nitrogen tank (vapor phase and not submerging the vials in liquid nitrogen).