Sirolimus in Kidney Transplant Donors and Clinical and Histologic Improvement in Recipients: Rat Model

• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2009.11.013
• Publication Date: 2010-02-19T09:17:44Z
• Authors: F. Cicora; N. Lausada; D.N. Vasquez; P. Cicora; G. Zalazar; P. Gonzalez; G. Palti; C. Raimondi
• Keywords: Sirolimus

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is one of the risk factors for delayed graft function, acute rejection episodes, and impaired long-term allograft survival after kidney transplantation. This antigen-independent inflammatory process produces tissue damage. Isogeneic transplantation in a rat model is a useful method for study of nonimmunologic risk factors for kidney damage.To study the effect of sirolimus on I/R injury using only 1 dose of the drug in the donor.Eighteen rats were allocated to 3 groups of 6 rats each: sham group, control group, and rapamycin group.Improved renal function and systemic inflammatory response were observed in the rapamycin group compared with the control group (Deltaurea, Deltacreatinine, and DeltaC3, all P < .01). The number of apoptotic nuclei in the renal medulla in the control group was higher than in the rapamycin group (P < .01). Tubular damage was less severe in the rapamycin group compared with the control group (P < .01). Complement 3 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression in the kidney samples were significantly decreased when rapamycin was given to the donor rats (P > .01). Bcl-2 protein was upregulated in the rapamycin group compared with the control group (P < .01).Administration of rapamycin in donors attenuates the I/R injury process after kidney transplantation in a rat model.