J Reconstr Microsurg 1998; 14(3): 191-194
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1000165
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© 1998 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Limb Xenotransplantation Using FK506 and RS61443 Immunosuppression

D. Hebebrand, N. F. Jones, G. Zohman, U. Rao, N. Soleiman
  • UCLA Hand Center, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles
Further Information

Publication History

Accepted for publication 1997

Publication Date:
08 March 2008 (online)

ABSTRACT

A new model of limb xenotransplantation has been developed to determine whether the newer immunosuppressive agents, FK-506 and RS-61443, either alone or in combination, can delay the rejection of a composite limb xenograft from donor Golden Syrian hamsters to recipient Lewis rats. Using a short-term course of immunosuppression for 14 days post-transplant, both FK-506 2 mg/kg/day and RS-61443 30 mg/kg/day were able to delay rejection. FK-506-treated animals had a mean rejection time of 10.2 days and RS-61443-treated animals had a mean rejection time of 10 days, compared with a mean rejection time of 6.4 days in non-immunosuppressed controls. Combination and sequential immunosuppression with both FK-506 and RS-61443 did not produce any improvement, compared with single-agent immunosuppression, and were quite toxic. Histologically, FK-506 seemed to prevent signs of rejection in the skin and muscle components of the limb xenograft better than RS-61443.

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