Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
A Rat Graft Rejection Model of Intestinal Transplantation with Exteriorized Ileostomy for Longitudinal Prognosis Assessment
Published on: June 10, 2025
[FTY720-induced lymphocyte apoptosis inhibits acute graft versus host disease in rat small bowel transplantation]
Jing-Hai Song1, Toshinori Ito, Jun-Min Wei
1Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Objective:
To investigate the effect and mechanism of FTY720 on acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) in rat small bowel transplantation (SBTx).
Methods:
Heterotopic SBTx was performed using a parent (WF)-into-F1 (WFxACI) rat combination. Recipient rats were divided into experimental group (n=6) and control group (n=6). Rats in the experimental group were administered with FTY720 at 0.5 mg/kg for 14 days. Lymphocyte apoptosis in the liver and the mucosa of intestine and graft was detected by TUNEL and flow cytometry 15 days after transplantation. Recipient survival and lymphocyte apoptosis were compared between the two groups.
Results:
Recipients in the control group died of GVHD after a mean survival time of (16+/-2.1) days. FTY720-treated recipients had a significantly longer survival (>100 days). After administration of FTY720, the percentage of apoptotic lymphocytes was significantly increased in the graft as compared to that in the control group by flow cytometry. The ratio of apoptotic lymphocyte in the liver and graft was also significantly higher in the experimental group by TUNEL.
Conclusion:
FTY720 effectively induces the lymphocyte apoptosis, inhibits the lesion of target tissues by GVHD, and prolongs the recipient survival.
