ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect of low-dose FK778 in preventing chronic renal al- lograft rejection in rats.Methods The rat model of chronic renal allograft rejection was established by using micro-surgery technique.The recipients were divided into two groups.The recipients in the study group were treated with FK778 at a dose of 5mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1)dissolved in carboxymethylcellulose by means of gavage and the controls were treated with carboxymethylcellulose.Urinary protein con- centrations were measured every 4 weeks for 24 weeks.On 24th week after operation,the rats were killed and the kidney grafts were taken out for histological and immunohistological examinations as well as quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis.Results After 24 weeks of treatment,proteinuria, the severity of chronic rejection,glomeruIosclerosicytes and monocytes/macrophages in the study group were significantly milder than in control group.And the expression of TGF-?mRNA and PDGF-B mRNA was significantly reduced in the study group as compared with that in the control group.Conclusion Low-dose of FK778 might prevent the rats from chronic renal allograft rejection.