Failure of cyclosporin-A to induce immunological unresponsiveness to nerve allografts.
Although some allografts bearing major and minor transplantation antigens can survive after the cessation of immunosuppression with cyclosporin-A (Cy-A), nerve allografts do not. In an attempt to induce immunological unresponsiveness to nerve allografts, we used grafts containing only minor transplantation antigens and varied the duration of Cy-A therapy from 2 to 12 weeks. Our results demonstrated that nerve allografts survived in rats during Cy-A therapy, but when the drug administration ceased, the allografts were rejected. Other factors besides the degree of histoincompatibility and duration of Cy-A treatment must be involved in determining whether or not unresponsiveness develops to allografts after Cy-A withdrawal. We conclude that nerve allograft immunosuppression generated by Cy-A requires regular administration of the drug.
D000818:Animals; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000637:transplantation*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D003524:Cyclosporins; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens