The effect of cyclosporin on endothelin levels after orthotopic liver transplantation in rats.
To assess the effects of cyclosporin (CyA) on endothelin-1 (ET-1) in rat liver allograft rejection, we evaluated ET-1 expression in samples obtained from BN(RT1n)-to-BN (group 1) rats, DA(RT1a)-to-BN (group 2) rats, and DA-to-BN rats treated with 5 mg/kg per day of CyA (group 3). Serum and hepatic ET-1 levels, determined by a radioimmunoassay, remained unchanged in group 1. In group 2, the ET-1 levels peaked on postoperative day (POD) 5 in the liver at 344 +/- 31.6 pg/g wet, and on POD 7 in the serum at 38.7 +/- 13.1 pg/ml. In group 3, hepatic and renal ET-1 levels showed a progressive increase until POD 10, while serum ET-1 levels remained unchanged. In conclusion, acute rejection caused a temporary increase in the ET-1 level in both the serum and the liver in the early postoperative period what might have been caused by endothelial damage due to ongoing, acute rejection. CyA caused a time-dependent increase in the ET-1 level in both the liver and the kidney without an increase in the serum ET-1 level. The serum ET-1 level might have been affected by the clearance of ET from the liver or kidney.
Shiraishi
M
M
First Department of Surgery, University of Ryukyu, School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan.
Kusano
T
T
Hara
J
J
Hiroyasu
S
S
Miyaguni
T
T
Muto
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006085:Graft Survival; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors
D019332:Endothelin-1; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine