title: Zoledronic acid, an aminobisphosphonate, prolongs survival of skin allografts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Zoledronic acid (ZOL), an effective nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate used to prevent excessive bone loss in clinical practice, has been shown to affect the development of dendritic cells by redirecting differentiation toward a state of atypical maturation. The study was aimed to examine whether ZOL can reduce acute rejection of skin allografts.
  
  
  METHODS
  A skin transplantation model using C57BL/6 to BALB/c mice was used. ZOL was injected intraperitoneally into transplant recipients post-surgically. Graft survival, body weight, leukocyte count, hepatic and renal functions were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ZOL treatment significantly prolonged skin allograft survival in mice. In terms of toxicity, there were no significant differences in body weight, leukocyte count, plasma alanine aminotransferase or creatinine levels between the ZOL-treated and control groups. Histopathology showed that the loss of skin integrity seen in control group was prevented by ZOL treatment. In draining lymph nodes and spleen, the number and clustering extent of mononuclear cells were markedly declined by ZOL treatment. The plasma IL-6 levels were reduced by treatment of ZOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ZOL can prolong skin allograft survival without major toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Po-Sheng
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shih-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Yu-Chuen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jie-Jen
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chun-Chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Hui-Ru
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Shieh
authors.forename: Yu-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D007093:Imidazoles; D015850:Interleukin-6; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid; D003404:Creatinine; D000410:Alanine Transaminase