Sulfasalazine inhibits reperfusion injury and prolongs allograft survival in rat cardiac transplants.
BACKGROUND
Reperfusion injury is an inflammatory cell-mediated response that causes tissue damage immediately following transplantation, and has been implicated in the development of acute and chronic rejection. NF-kappaB is a transcription factor that upregulates adhesion molecules ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and ELAM-1 following reperfusion. We hypothesized that treatment with sulfasalazine, a potent inhibitor of NF-kappaB, would decrease adhesion molecule expression, decrease reperfusion injury, and prolong allograft survival in rat cardiac transplants.


METHODS
Heterotopic rat heart transplants were performed. Donor allografts were treated with saline, sulfasalazine (SSA), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent inducer of NF-kappaB activity. Reperfusion injury was assessed with cardiac edema (percent wet weight), neutrophil infiltration (MPO activity), and histologic damage (contraction band necrosis). Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze protein expression. Acute rejection was determined by daily palpation.


RESULTS
Treatment with a single 100 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection of sulfasalazine decreased reperfusion injury compared to saline controls (MPO activity, saline: 2.1+/-0.3, SSA: 1.2+/-0.31, P < 0.005; % wet weight, saline 77.6+/-1.1%; SSA 75.8+/-1.0%, P < 0.005; contraction band necrosis, saline: 13.1+/-2.5%, SSA: 6.1+/-3.4%, P < 0.001). LPS administration increased all parameters of reperfusion injury. Treatment with sulfasalazine prior to LPS also decreased reperfusion injury compared to LPS and saline groups. Sulfasalazine treatment decreased ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 protein expression. Administration of 500 mg/kg sulfasalazine increased graft survival to 15.4+/-1.8 days compared to saline (6.8+/-1.4 days, P < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with sulfasalazine is an effective method to decrease reperfusion injury and prolong allograft survival in a rat cardiac transplantation model.
Feeley
B T
BT
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University of Medicine, California 94305-5407, USA.
Park
A K
AK
Hoyt
E G
EG
Robbins
R C
RC
D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000473:pathology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011912:Rats, Inbred ACI; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D019040:E-Selectin; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D012460:Sulfasalazine