[Effect of mono and combination therapy with FTY720 and ICAM-1 mAb for mouse-to-rat cardiac xenotransplantation].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect of FTY720 and ICAM-1 mAb mono and combination therapy in mouse-to-rat cardiac xenotransplantation.

METHODS

Cardiac xenotransplantation was performed in abdominal site with micro-surgical technique. Recipients with xenografts were treated with different doses of FTY720 and/or ICAM-1 mAb. Graft survival, histopathology, infiltration of CD4+, and CD8+ T cells and levels of serum IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-4, and IgM were investigated.

RESULTS

Survival time of xenografts was (2.75+/- 0.43)d in the controls, survival of grafts treated with ICAM-1 mAb did not significantly improve. Treatment with large dose FTY720 led to a survival of (4.25+/- 0.71)d (P<0.01). Combination therapy with large dose FTY720 and ICAM-1 mAb achieved a significant prolongation of graft survival with (10.25+/- 2.12)d (P<0.01). Levels of serum IL-2, IFN-gamma and rat-anti-mouse IgM decreased in the combined therapy group. Pathologic lesion and infiltration of T cells in xenografts showed mitigated in the large dose combined therapy group. There was a significant negative correlation between the antibody level and the graft survival time (R=-0.754, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

The combined therapy of FTY720 and ICAM-1 mAb can achieve a significant effect in the prolongation of heart xenograft survival and inhibition of xenoantibodies.