title: Prodigiosin 25C: effect in in vitro models for T cell activation and T cell cycling and in vivo for rat heart allografts.
abstract: Prodigiosin 25C inhibited both lymphocyte activation (concanavalin-A-activated mouse spleen cells) and constitutive cell cycling of T cells and fibroblasts. This suggests that prodigiosin 25C is not selective for activation of T lymphocytes as has been previously reported. Use of prodigiosin 25C to suppress allograft rejection of rat hearts (DA to PVG) showed that 1 mg/kg/day i.p. had no effect whilst 10 mg/kg/day i.p. was toxic as manifest by weight loss and diarrhoea at 3 days. Although this toxicity was reversible upon reversion to 1 mg/kg/day, no major prolongation in allograft survival was seen. Our data suggests that prodigiosin 25C has a low therapeutic index and may not be selective for T cell activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Metcalfe
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Calne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011353:Prodigiosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000494:pharmacology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; C077331:prodigiosin 25C; D011353:Prodigiosin; D016559:Tacrolimus