Chemokine-binding viral protein M-T7 prevents chronic rejection in rat renal allografts.
M-T7 is a myxoma virus-encoded protein that has been found to bind and disrupt human chemokine gradients. This study examined whether purified M-T7 could prevent chronic rejection in a rat renal allograft model. Fisher F344 renal allografts were transplanted into Lewis rats. Recipients were randomly grouped into two groups: control animals treated with cyclosporine alone and animals treated with cyclosporine combined with low-, medium- and high-dose M-T7 viral protein. The survival rate was not significantly different between allograft groups. Renal allografts treated with high-dose M-T7 demonstrated a significant reduction in tubular atrophy, glomerular atrophy, vascular hyalinization, cortical scarring, and lymphocyte infiltration. Morphometric analyses demonstrated that the high-dose M-T7 group also showed a significantly decreased amount of glomerulosclerosis and transplant arteriosclerosis. These data demonstrate for the first time that the immunoregulatory viral protein M-T7 can effectively attenuate chronic rejection in rat renal allografts.
Bédard
Eric L R
EL
The Department of Surgery, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Kim
Peter
P
Jiang
Jifu
J
Parry
Neil
N
Liu
Liying
L
Wang
Hao
H
Garcia
Bertha
B
Li
Xing
X
McFadden
Grant
G
Lucas
Alexandra
A
Zhong
Robert
R
D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D018925:Chemokines; C091989:M-T7 protein, Myxoma virus; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D014764:Viral Proteins