Diminished neointimal thickness in cholesterol-fed rabbits receiving cyclosporine

Abstract

The author studied the effect of cyclosporine on suppression of anastomotic and graft intimal hyperplasia, using 10-mm-long and 3-mm-internal-diameter expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (EPTFE) infrarenal aortic grafts in rabbits. A control group (n=6) received commercial rabbit chow; a cholesterol group (n=6) received rabbit chow with 1% cholesterol; and a cyclosporine group (n=6) received the cholesterol diet plus cyclosporine 5 mg/kg daily subcutaneously. All animals were killed three months after grafting. The intimal thickness was measured in the central portion of the graft and at the proximal and distal anastomosis. In the control group and the cyclosporine group, the intraluminal surface of the EPTFE graft was smooth and more even than in the cholesterol group. The initial thickness in the central portion was 10.3±3.5, 145±60.3, and 86.1±29.6 μm in the control, cholesterol, and cyclosporine groups, respectively. The intimal thickness in the central portion was significantly less in the control and cyclosporine groups than in the cholesterol group (p<0.05). However, no significant difference in intimal thickness between cholesterol and cyclosporine groups was observed at the proximal and distal anastomoses.

The author concluded that cyclosporine inhibits intimal thickening in arterial grafts.