AIM:To study the effect of donor IL-10 modified dendritic cells(DC)for providing theoretical and practical basis for anti-rejection of corneal transplantation.METHODS:Wistar rats were used as donors,and SD rats were used as recipients.The recipient was injected by tail vein with donor IL-10-treated DC or with untreated DC.Keratoplasty was performed after three days and the survival time of corneal allografts was observed.Animals were randomly assigned to the following three groups:(A)control,(B)DC,(C)IL-10-DC.RESULTS:The mean survival time in the control group was merely 10.1±1.7 days,but in the pretreated groups was 17.8±1.8 days and 26.4±1.6 days respectively which was statistically prolonged compared with the control groups(P<0.01),and comparison within the two pretreated groups was significantly different(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:It is indicated that pretreatment with donor immature DC could markedly prolong the survival time of corneal allografts.And IL-10-modified DC can further extend the rat corneal allografts.