Pachymic acid, a novel compound for anti-rejection: effect in rats following cardiac allograft transplantation.
BACKGROUND
Pachymic acid (PA), a natural triterpenoid, is known to significantly reduce cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in vitro through initiation of mitochondria dysfunction. However, its effect on immune cells and anti-rejection following organ transplantation remains unknown.


METHODS
In this study, we investigated PA as a treatment to control acute rejection occurred in rats which had accepted cardiac transplantation. We measured apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBLs), and CD4(+) lymphocyte, as well as the number of CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes and the effect of PA on acute rejection in rats 7 days after cardiac transplantation.


RESULTS
PA treatment might decrease allograft rejection, protect PBLs from apoptosis, and reduce the percentage of CD8(+) lymphocyte. PA neither regulated the number nor the apoptosis rate of CD4(+) lymphocyte.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicated that PA has an anti-apoptotic effect acting on PBLs through a novel mechanism involving stabilization of the PBLs mitochondrial transmembrane potential, an anti-rejection effect in rats after cardiac transplantation and an inhibiting effect to CD8(+) lymphocyte.
Zhang
Fan
F
Department of Cardiac Surgery, First Hospital Affiliated to Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
Zhang
Xue-feng
XF
Wang
Bai-chun
BC
Liu
Hong-yu
HY
Li
Chun-yu
CY
Liu
Zong-hong
ZH
Zhang
Guo-wei
GW
Lü
Hang
H
Chi
Chao
C
Wang
Fei
F
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014315:Triterpenes; C102487:pachymic acid