[Immunosuppression with cyclosporin after orthoptic liver transplant in pigs]

The immunosuppressive effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) was studied in six pigs that underwent orthotopic liver transplant (OLT). The drug was administered i.v. in low doses (1.5-4 mg/Kg-1/12 h-1) and associated with wide spectrum antibiotics. The mean survival of the animals was 23.4 +/- 11.2 days. All animals had fever, jaundice and hypertrichosis, and the preoperative corporal weight remained constant. Liver abscesses by E. coli were common autopsy findings. Livers also presented biliary regeneration and cholestasis with a slight lymphocytic infiltration. OLT in pigs without immunosuppressive treatment causes and elevation in serum gamma-GTP, GOT, LDH, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. In the post-mortem findings, the livers did not present abscesses but evidenced intense atrophy with hepatocellular necrosis and abundant lymphocytic infiltration.