Transplantation of rat insulinoma allografts with cyclosporin A.
Cyclosporin A (CyA), an investigational immunosuppressive drug, was tested for its ability as a single agent to prevent rejection and maintain function of islet cell tumors transplanted across a major histocompatibility barrier. Lewis rats have previously been shown by our group to reject the KX insulinoma in 7 to 10 days. CyA was administered to Lewis rats intraperitoneally for 21 days beginning 1 day before subcutaneous KX insulinoma engraftment. Dosage of 8 and 12 mg/kg/day failed to suppress rejection, as no palpable tumor or blood glucose level changes were observed. A dosage of 17 mg/kg/day allowed full allograft function without serious drug-related side effects in this short-term study. blood glucose levels in the successfully engrafted recipients fell to an average of 43 +/- 13 mg/dl. When CyA treatment was stopped, the insulinoma allografts were rejected within 14 days, suggesting that continued presence of the drug is necessary to maintain immunosuppression. These experimental results suggest that CyA can be administered as a single immunosuppressive agent to prevent early rejection of insulinoma transplanted across a major histocompatibility barrier in the experimental animal.
D007516:Adenoma, Islet Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000187:drug effects*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013997:Time Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D003524:Cyclosporins