Immunosuppressive effect of tacrolimus (FK-506). Bone xenografts in rabbits.
We examined the immunomodulatory effect of the macrolide antibiotic FK-506 (tacrolimus) in bone xenograft transplantation. Full-thickness pieces of iliac bone from mongrel dogs were transplanted into the iliac bone of Japanese white rabbits. FK-506 at a dose of 1.6 mg/kg/day was injected into the rabbits for 10 days after transplantation. In the animals treated with FK-506, inflammatory cell infiltration was remarkably reduced and revascularization accompanied by new bone formation occurred in the grafts. At 4 months after the transplantation, the formation of new bone and of mature new bone marrow were observed. In a control group, inflammatory cell infiltration was marked around the graft from 2 weeks after the transplantation. Revascularization from the recipient site to the graft in the control group was poor and only a small amount of new bone had formed at 4 months. Our findings suggest that short-term administration of FK-506 has a beneficial effect on experimental xenograft bone transplantation.
Ikebe
S
S
Department of Orthopedics, Oita Medical University, Japan.
Masumi
S
S
Yano
H
H
Fukunaga
T
T
Shimizu
K
K
Shin
S
S
D000818:Animals; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000379:methods; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007085:Ilium / Q000637:transplantation; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D011817:Rabbits; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016559:Tacrolimus