Rapamycin (sirolimus) inhibits heart cell growth in vitro.
The success of infant and neonatal heart transplantation has increased dramatically since the mid-1980s. This success is due both to improved medical and surgical techniques and better pharmacological management of rejection episodes. We report here the results of in vitro studies designed to investigate the effect of rapamycin (a macrolide antibiotic with potent antirejection activity) on the proliferation of fetal cardiac myocytes. Our data suggest that rapamycin inhibits the proliferation of these cells, which is an effect that appears to be irreversible. This inhibition is relevant to the use of rapamycin in the treatment of rejection episodes in the infant and neonate, in which cardiac myocyte development is incomplete.
Cardiothoracic Surgery, Imperial College School of Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Dovehouse Street, London SW3 6LY, United Kingdom.
P B
PB
Burton
M H
MH
Yacoub
P J
PJ
Barton
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000166:cytology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000633:toxicity*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D020123:Sirolimus