title: Effects of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and drugs affecting PGE2 degradation on acute rejection of rat cardiac allografts.
abstract: Systemic administration of prostaglandin E2 (PgE2) has been reported to prolong graft survival of heart transplants. We investigated the influence of systemic injection of two compounds which inhibit the endogenous degradation of PgE2 (CL42A and CL68A) and of local infusion of PgE2 into the transplant on the survival time of rat cardiac allografts. Both CL42A and CL68A gave increased graft survival time in two rat strain combinations, though this was not predictable in individual rats. Locally infused PgE2 gave slight, but not significant prolongation of graft survival in some recipients. Combined PgE2 and cyclosporin A, however, gave significant prolongation of graft survival time compared with cyclosporin A treatment alone. When local PgE2 treatment was begun 5 days after transplantation, graft survival time was prolonged in almost all the rats. Manipulation of the local PgE2 concentration thus seemed to have a positive effect on graft survival, possibly due to down-regulation of certain cells of the immune system by PgE2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wanders
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tufveson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerdin
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001577:Benzophenones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000187:drug effects*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D008297:Male; D011427:Propiophenones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
chemical_list: D001577:Benzophenones; D011427:Propiophenones; D016572:Cyclosporine; C076794:CL 68A; C076793:CL 42A; D015232:Dinoprostone