[Mechanisms of purified cobra venom factor in preventing hyperacute rejection following discordant liver xenotransplantation in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mechanisms of purified cobra venom factor (CVF) in preventing hyperacute rejection (HAR) and prolonging recipient survival following discordant liver xenotransplantation in rats.


METHODS
All animals were divided into two groups, group I (n = 20), unmodified recipients as control; group II (n = 20), xenograft recipients were treated with 50 microg/kg CVF i.v. on day-1. The pathologic changes of liver were observed and TNF-alpha of blood serum was detected.


RESULTS
Recipient survival after CVF treatment is significantly prolonged compared with unmodified recipients (1.8 +/- 0.6 vs.7.4 +/- 2.1 h, P < 0.01). Histologically, widespread thrombosis, interstitial haemorrhage, C3 deposits on sinusoids and central veins characterized xenografts of the control group. Xenografts of the CVF group showed endothelium swelling and cellular infiltrate, no deposit of C3 was detected.


CONCLUSIONS
Purified CVF can prevent guinea pig-to-rat liver xenografts from HAR and extend recipient survival. Preconditioning with CVF, guinea pig-to-rat combination is a useful life-supporting model to explore further mechanisms of discordant liver xenotransplantation.
Li
Zheng-dong
ZD
Institute of Organ Transplantation, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
Shi
Chang-qing
CQ
Zhang
Qun-hua
QH
Xiong
Yu-liang
YL
Zhou
Xing-ding
XD
Wang
Wan-yu
WY
Song
Ning
N
D000818:Animals; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D004546:Elapid Venoms; C016310:cobra venom factor