Obliterative lesions in a heterotopic bronchial xenograft model - A preliminary study

Background. We further developed our heterotopic pig model of obliterative bronchiolitis to study airway obliteration in xenografts, Methods. Four domestic piglets each received 40 bronchial xenografts s.c. f rom a donor lamb. Piglet X was not immunosuppressed, The other animals rece ived daily oral cyclosporine, 15 mg/kg (XC), or SDZ RAD, 1.5 mg/kg (XR), or both (XCR). Five implants at a time were serially removed from each animal during 17 days for histological assessment. Results. In contrast to the grafts of the others, the xenografts of XCR rec overed after initial ischemic damage. No epithelial damage (P<0.01) or mura l necrosis occurred on day 7. Airway obliteration developed in all, but was significantly delayed in XCR, Conclusions. Invariably developing airway obliteration in nontreated xenogr afts was delayed by immunosuppression, making the model useful, especially in testing the efficacy of immunosuppressive drugs in a xenogeneic system.