Prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease in rats using 9-(2-phosphonomethoxyethyl) adenine (PMEA).

Severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) developed following intravenous administration of parental BN.lx lymphoid cells into (SHR x BN.lx)F1 animals. Clinical symptoms, including foot-pad hyperemia, slobbering, melaena, progressive weight loss leading to death within 3 to 4 weeks, can be completely abrogated by 8 injections of PMEA starting 1 h after cell administration. Practically normal histological findings in PMEA-treated animals contrasted with nearly complete damage of bone marrow, lymphoid infiltration of salivary glands and even ulceration with hemorrhage of the epidermoid part of the stomach in untreated control GVHD animals.