EFFECT OF FUSIDIC ACID ON PANCREATIC-ISLET ALLOGRAFT-REJECTION

We examined in fully mismatched rats, the survival of pancreatic islet allografts in recipients treated with either fusidic acid (FA), an an tistaphyllococcal antibiotic that has been shown to possess an immunos uppressive effect in vitro and in vivo, or cyclosporin-A (CsA), Islets were isolated by collagenase digestion, separated from acinar tissue by handpicking under a dissecting microscope and transplanted into the liver by portal vein injection of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabet ic rats, The results indicated that while a temporary immunosuppressio n with CsA achieved an indefinite islet allograft survival, FA adminis tered to recipients daily was not able to prevent islet allograft reje ction across a major histocompatibility barrier, We conclude that desp ite the fact that fusidic acid has been claimed to act as an immunosup pressant drug in vitro with effects similar to those of CsA, unlike Cs A, FA given either orally or by s.c. injection was not effective to pr olong islet allograft survival in vivo. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Sc ience Inc.