Effect of PDGF-A on cardiac allograft vasculopathy and myocardial fibrosis in rats / 中华器官移植杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of PDGF-A on cardiac allograft vasculopathy and myocardial fibrosis in rats.Methods By using inbred Wistar rats as donors,and Sprague Dawley (SD)rats as recipients,heterotopic heart transplantation model was established,Four groups,each having 8 animals,were used.In normal heart group,Wistar rat hearts as blank control;In no rejection group,inbred Wistar rats as donors and recipients without immunosuppressive drugs,and grafts were removed on the day 60;In acute rejection group and chronic rejection group,Wistar rats as donors,SD rats as recipients,and the grafts were harvested on the day 5 without immunosuppresslve drugs in acute rejection group;In chronic rejectlon group,the graits were Immunohistochemistry was used for macrophages(CD68 positive cells)and reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)assay for expression of PDGF-A mRNA in cardiac allografts.Results Macrophage infiltration was not found in normal heart group and no rejection group.In acute rejection group and chronic rejection group,macrophage infiltration was found around coronary vessels and in myocardial interstitium,especially in myocardial fibrosis area in chronic rejection allografts.The relative content of PDGF-A mRNA in normal heart group,no rejection group,acute rejection group,and chronic rejection group was 0.26±0.06,0.31±0.04,0.88±0.12,0.94±0.11respectively.PDGF-A mRNA was increased in chronic rejection group and acute rejection group significantly as compared with that in normal heart group and no rejection group(P＜0.01).Conclusion Macrophage infiltration and expression of PDGF-A are associated with cardiac allograft vasculopathy and myocardial fibrosis.