Published online Mar 25, 1996. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v2.i1.36
Revised: January 13, 1996
Accepted: February 1, 1996
Published online: March 25, 1996
AIM: To determine whether anti-rejection therapy with tripterygium wolfordii (TW) and low-dose cyclosporine (CsA) is better than treatments with large-dose CsA for small bowel transplantation.
METHODS: Two-step segmental small bowel transplantation was performed in pigs and followed by treatment with either no, low-dose or high-dose CsA, which was followed by TW, a traditional Chinese medicine, or not.
RESULTS: The transplanted pigs receiving no CsA developed organ rejection, as did the pigs who received the low-dose CsA treatment alone; the mean survival time of the grafts was 12 ± 8.2 ± 7 d and 12 ± 4.2 ± 6 d respectively. Of the 4 transplanted pigs receiving the high-dose CsA for 100 d and then the TW treatment, 2 required euthanasia for severe pneumonia that developed on day 92 and 97 respectively, and the other 2 survived more than 348 and 327 d respectively. Of the 5 transplanted pigs receiving low-dose CsA for 100 d and then the TW treatment, all survived for 243 ± 2.90 ± 9 d and none succumbed to infection.
CONCLUSION: We are the first to use TW in small bowel transplantation and to show that TW can be a powerful and effective anti-rejection agent when applied in conjunction with the standard immunosuppressant CsA.