Protosappanin a, an immunosuppressive constituent from a Chinese herb, prolongs graft survival and attenuates acute rejection in rat heart allografts.
OBJECTIVE
Caesalpinia sappan L., which has been used in oriental medicine as an analgesic and antiinflammatory agent, has shown immunosuppressive activity on acute rejection on rat heart allografts. The present study was designed to investigate the potency of protosappanin A, one major ingredient of C. sappan L., in rat heart transplantation.


METHODS
Protosappanin A isolated from an ethanol extract of C. sappan L. was identified by wave spectrum. All groups consisted of Wistar donors into Sprague-Dawley (SD) recipients, including large (25 mg/kg) or small (5 mg/kg) doses of protosappanin A plus cyclosporine (10 mg/kg). A control group was used. Animals were given the drugs on postoperative day 2. We observed graft survival and pathologic conditions of the hearts. Blood samples were obtained on postoperative day 7 to measure the CD4+/CD8+ T-cell ratio. Graft perforin and granzyme B mRNA expression levels were examined with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods.


RESULTS
Protosappanin A or cyclosporine significantly prolonged heart allograft survival (P < .01), alleviated myocardial pathologic damages (P < .01), decreased the CD4+/CD8+ ratio (P < .05), and inhibited perforin and granzyme B mRNA expressions in the graft (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrated that protosappanin A prolonged heart allograft survival by significantly attenuating acute rejection.
Wu
J
J
Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Hou
J B
JB
Zhang
M M
MM
Zou
Y P
YP
Yu
B
B
D000818:Animals; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D029911:Caesalpinia; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D053804:Granzymes / Q000235:genetics; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054353:Perforin / Q000235:genetics; D010636:Phenols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology*
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D010636:Phenols; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C090723:protosappanin A; D054353:Perforin; D053804:Granzymes