RESUMO
Objective To investigate the effect of 15-deoxyspurgualin (DSG) on graft coronary arteriosclerosis (GCA) and the platelet-derived growth factor-A (PGDF-A) mRNA expression of graft myocardium after heterotopic heart transplantation and the possible mechanism. Methods The rat heterotopic heart transplantation model was developed. Two groups of Lewis rats ( n =7 in each group) underwent heterotopic heart transplantationin from Wistar-King donors and were treated with either DSG (5 mg/kg daily, DSG group) or cyclosporine A (10 mg/kg daily, control group). Histological examinations of rejection and coronary arteriosclerosis, as well as Northern blot analysis of graft PDGF-A mRNA expression were made 60 days after transplantation. Results No significant difference in the degree of rejection was found between the two groups. However, the degree of coronary arterial intimal thickening in the DSG group was significantly less than that in the control group ( P