Short term suppression of hyperacute renal allograft rejection in presensitised dogs with prostacyclin.

One of the main features of hyperacute renal allograft rejection in presensitised dogs is platelet aggregation within the kidney as detected by light microscopy and renal arterio-venous platelet counts. Graft failure, as determined by reduction and ultimate cessation of renal blood flow and urine production, can be abrogated in the short term by prostacyclin which is the most potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation yet discovered. After 4 h of extracorporeal perfusion, by which time all control kidneys had been rejected, all prostacyclin treated kidneys had normal or above normal blood flow rates, were producing urine and were similar histologically (light microscopy) to 4-hour autografts.