Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Orthotopic Implantation and Peripheral Immune Cell Monitoring in the II-45 Syngeneic Rat Mesothelioma Model
Published on: October 2, 2015
Systemic Tacrolimus Attenuates Peri-Implant Capsule Formation and Inflammatory/Fibrotic Signaling in a Rat Silicone
Hyung Bae Kim1, Nara Lee1, Hyun Ho Han1
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Pungnap-dong, Sonpa-gu, Seoul, 138-736, Republic of Korea.
Background:
Capsule formation in contact with silicone implants may vary according to the administration of systemic immunosuppressive drugs.
Methods:
A total of 18 Sprague-Dawley rats that underwent premuscular plane silicone implant insertion were divided into three groups as follows: Group 1, untreated negative control (n = 6); Group 2, treated with tacrolimus (n = 6); and Group 3, treated with dexamethasone as a positive control (n = 6). At 3 months after surgery, the histology and immunochemistry of the capsule tissues were analyzed.
Results:
Systemic administration of dexamethasone and tacrolimus successfully reduced capsule thickness and inflammatory marker levels. The aggregation of CD3 (T lymphocytes)- and CD68 (histiocytes)-positive cells around the capsule also reduced.
Conclusions:
This study aimed to evaluate whether systemic immunosuppression with tacrolimus modulates peri-implant capsule formation and key inflammatory/fibrotic pathways in a rat silicone implant model. We focused on histologic capsule thickness and immunohistochemical markers representing innate/adaptive immune activation and myofibroblast-driven fibrosis as surrogate measures of early periprosthetic tissue remodeling.
No Level Assigned:
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .