Function of inflammatory cells and neoral cyclosporin-A in heart transplant-associated coronary vasculopathy

Abstract

The role of Sandimmun Neoral® (S-n) and the immune response in transplant-associated coronary vasculopathy (TACV) was evaluated in a Lewis (Lew)- to-Fischer-344 (F344) rat abdominal heterotopic heart transplant model. Some of the transplant recipients were treated with S-n (5mg/ kg/ day) for 14 days posttransplant, or until sacrifice. Grafts were subjected to immunohistochemical (ED1, CD4, CD8 and a-actin+ cells) anal ysis from day 7 to 100 post-transplant. Singenic controls did not develop TACV, irrespective of whether they had received the drug or not. TACV was detected in Lew-F344 transplants regardless of S-n administration with participation of ED1+, CD8+ and aactin+ cells, although its incidence was lower in animals receiving prolonged S-n treatment. In this model, accelerated arteriosclerosis of the graft appeared to be related more to the rejection effect than to the action of the immunosuppressive agent.