title: Short-course immunosuppression after tracheal allotransplantation in dogs.
abstract: It is desirable to minimize immunosuppression after allotransplantation. We examined the usefulness of a short course of immunosuppression after tracheal allotransplantation in 35 dogs. Five animals with six-ring tracheal autografts served as controls (group I, n = 5). Thirty animals with six-ring tracheal allografts were randomly classified into five groups as follows: no immunosuppression (group II, n = 6), azathioprine for only 1 postoperative week (group III, n = 7), azathioprine for 2 postoperative weeks (group IV, n = 7), azathioprine for 3 postoperative weeks (group V, n = 5), and mizoribine for 3 postoperative weeks (group VI, n = 5). All allografts in groups II through VI sustained rejection, but there was no difference in mononuclear cell infiltration of the grafts among the groups. The only grafts with long-term viability were those in groups I and VI, as demonstrated by graft patency and epithelialization. We conclude that immunosuppression with mizoribine for only a short course after transplantation may allow long-term viability of tracheal allografts.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasumoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirakusa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004285:Dogs; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000502:physiology; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011897:Random Allocation; D012263:Ribonucleosides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014022:Tissue Survival; D014132:Trachea / Q000637:transplantation*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D012263:Ribonucleosides; C010052:mizoribine; D001379:Azathioprine