Cross-species transplantation of photoreceptors with tacrolimus hydrate (FK506) treatment.
Photoreceptors from normal neonatal or transgenic neonatal mice with normally developing retinas were transplanted into the subretinal spaces of normal rats. The animals with transplants received either immunosuppressive treatment with tacrolimus hydrate for the first two weeks after transplantation or no treatment. At 4 weeks after transplantation, graft survival occurred only in rats treated with tacrolimus. In 7 of the 12 treated eyes, photoreceptors survived at least 4 weeks after transplantation. Relatively mature outer segments were found only in 2 eyes in which the retinal grafts formed rosettes.
Yamamoto
S
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
Nagaki
Y
Y
Fukuo
Y
Y
Hirata
H
H
D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000637:transplantation* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000473:pathology
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016559:Tacrolimus