The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Sep 1996
A novel mechanism for cyclosporine: inhibition of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury in a heterotopic rabbit heart transplant model.
Advances in myocardial preservation techniques and immunosuppressive drug therapy have resulted in heart transplantation as an acceptable treatment for end-stage heart failure. However, excessive periods of global myocardial ischemia followed by reperfusion can progress to irreversible graft injury. It has been reported that cyclosporine A (in addition to its well-characterized immunosuppressive actions) can blunt certain features of ischemia and reperfusion injury. This study was performed to examine the ability of cyclosporine A to attenuate such injury in a model of heart transplantation. ⋯ These results indicate that single doses of cyclosporine A to both the donor and recipient inhibit the dysfunction in extent and rate of left ventricular relaxation caused by prolonged global ischemia and reperfusion. Possible mechanisms for cyclosporine A's myocardial protective actions are presented in the discussion.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Sep 1996
Methotrexate can halt the progression of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome in lung transplant recipients.
Methotrexate has been used successfully to treat refractory or recurrent rejection in heart transplant recipients. We therefore conducted an open pilot study to determine whether methotrexate is useful in the treatment of chronic rejection after lung transplantation. ⋯ Methotrexate is a potentially promising therapeutic alternative in the therapy of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome in lung transplant recipients.