title: Survival of corneal allografts following topical treatment with the immunomodulator mycophenolate mofetil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topically applied mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for the prophylaxis of corneal graft rejection in an experimental keratoplasty model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 12 female Lewis rats received 3.5-mm MHC I/II-incompatible corneal grafts from DA donors. Recipients were randomly assigned to receive either topical MMF + beta-cyclodextrin therapy (1%), beta-cyclodextrin therapy alone or to remain untreated. Therapy was applied every 2 h (over 24 h) during the first 3 postoperative days, then twice hourly during daytime. Grafts were graded every day based on a rejection score including the parameters transplant clarity and edema.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean survival time (MST) of the grafts in the MMF-treated group was 12 days, the MST in the vehicle-treated group was 14.3 days and the MST in the untreated group was 13.3 days. So, the survival curves of the 3 treatment groups did not differ significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Topical MMF is ineffective for prophylaxis of corneal graft rejection.
authors: Clinic of Ophthalmology, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Charité - University School of Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany. eckart.bertelmann@charite.de
authors: Eckart
authors: E
authors: Bertelmann
authors: Maurice
authors: M
authors: de Ruijter
authors: Nianqiao
authors: N
authors: Gong
authors: Sigrid
authors: S
authors: Knapp
authors: Uwe
authors: U
authors: Pleyer
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D017211:Treatment Failure; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; C031215:betadex