title: The immunosuppressive effect of rapamycin on mouse small bowel transplantation.
abstract: The efficacy of rapamycin (RAPA) was tested on small bowel transplantation in the mouse and compared with cyclosporine (CsA). Four groups were involved, each one included three combinations (n > or = 6) for evaluation of host-versus-graft (HVG, C57BL/6 X BALB/c F1 (CB6F1)-to-BALB/c), graft-versus-host (GVH, BALB/c-to-CB6F1), and combined HVG and GVH responses (C57BL/6-to-BALB/c). Grafts were transplanted to recipients heterotopically. Groups were as follows: group 1: naive controls; groups 2 and 3: recipient mice treated with RAPA 2 mg/kg/day and 4 mg/kg/day orally for 14 days, respectively; group 4: recipient mouse treated with CsA 4 mg/kg/day orally for 14 days. In the HVG model, the mean survival time (MST) of recipients was significantly longer in group 2 (32.9 +/- 17.7 days, P=0.006), group 3 (32.7 +/- 10.4 days, P=0.0001), and group 4 (37.9 +/- 11.8 days, P=0.0001), compared with naive controls in group 1 (8.5 +/- 1.6 days). In the GHV model, the MST of recipients in group 2 (41.8 +/- 19.9 days, P=0.002), group 3 (48.2 +/- 21.4 days, P=0.001) and group 4 (56.5 +/- 30.6 days, P=0.003) were significantly prolonged compared with control group 1 (8.5 +/- 1.6 days). In combined HVG and GVH responses, MST of recipient in group 2 (20.9 +/- 4.9 days, P=0.0001), group 3 (27.0 +/- 4.3 days, P=0.008), and group 4 (35.2 +/- 23.9 days, P=0.0001) were also significantly longer than that in controls (6.9 +/- 1.4 days), but in all three combinations, there were no statistically significant differences between groups 2 and 3, groups 2 and 4, or groups 3 and 4 (P>0.05). RAPA is a potent immunosuppressant able to significantly prolong small bowel allograft survival in mice using a short-term treatment. There is no statistically significant difference in recipient survival between low and high doses of RAPA treatment and the CsA standard dose used in this study.
authors.affiliation: Laboratories of Experimental Surgery and Transplantation Immunology, Research Center, Notre-Dame Hospital, University of Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Daloze
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011090:Polyenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020123:Sirolimus
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011090:Polyenes; D016572:Cyclosporine; D020123:Sirolimus