EVIDENCE THAT GRAFT CORONARY ARTERIOSCLEROSIS BEGINS IN THE EARLY PHASE AFTER TRANSPLANTATION AND PROGRESSES WITHOUT CHRONIC IMMUNOREACTION- HISTOPATHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS USING A RETRANSPLANTATION MODEL
H. Izutani et al., EVIDENCE THAT GRAFT CORONARY ARTERIOSCLEROSIS BEGINS IN THE EARLY PHASE AFTER TRANSPLANTATION AND PROGRESSES WITHOUT CHRONIC IMMUNOREACTION- HISTOPATHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS USING A RETRANSPLANTATION MODEL, Transplantation, 60(10), 1995, pp. 1073-1079
The histopathological features of chronic rejection and its initiation
were assessed using rat heterotopic heart transplantation and retrans
plantation models. Fully allogeneic or minor, non-MHC antigen-mismatch
heart grafts transplanted into recipient rats treated with a short co
urse of FK506 showed long-term survival but developed graft atheroscle
rosis after 40 days posttransplantation. Retransplantation of allograf
ts back into the original donor strain did not prevent graft atheroscl
erosis if the grafts had resided in the primary recipient for up to 5
days; residence in the primary allogeneic recipient for less than 4 da
ys did not result in graft atherosclerosis in the secondary recipient.
Short-course administration of FK506 did not affect the production of
these changes. Graft coronary arteriosclerosis begins between 3 and 5
days posttransplantation and progresses without continuous allogeneic
immunological drive. The present findings will provide a new means by
which to approach the analysis of development of chronic allograft re
jection.