title: The role of systemic cyclosporine dosing schedule on corneal allograft survival in the rat model.
abstract: We evaluated the role of preoperative versus postoperative systemic Cyclosporin A (CsA) on corneal allograft survival in the rat model. All treatment regimens were administered by daily intramuscular injection until rejection. In the preoperative group (n = 9), CsA (7.5 mg/kg/day) was started ten days preoperatively. In the postoperative group (n = 9), CsA (7.5 mg/kg/day) was started immediately postoperatively. In the injectable control group (n = 7), injections of 0.9% normal saline with olive oil began the day of surgery. A masked observer performed alternate day slit lamp evaluations of graft opacity, edema, and vascularity. The median rejection times [days (range)] for the injection control, preoperative and postoperative groups were: 11 (10-17), 17 (12-53), and 28 (12-53), respectively. The grafts in the postoperative and preoperative treatment groups survived longer than the control (p = 0.003 and p = 0.005 respectively). There was no statistical difference between the preoperative and postoperative groups (p = 0.3). Preoperative systemic administration of CsA may offer no significant benefit in prolonging allograft survival over treatment beginning the day of surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Bouchard
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kappil
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duffner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D016572:Cyclosporine