Limb allografts in rats immunosuppressed with cyclosporine: as a whole-joint allograft.

We performed limb allografts in three inbred rat strains immunosuppressed with cyclosporine. As controls, 10 autografts and 10 isografts exhibited an excellent result. In minor-mismatched allografts (Lewis to Fischer, n = 45), with the use of cyclosporine, the grafted limbs survived and the articular cartilage retained normal architecture and cell viability 52 weeks after grafting, but without cyclosporine treatment severe degeneration and destruction of articular cartilage were shown by 16 weeks after operation. In major-mismatched allografts (Brown Norway to Fischer, n = 35), the articular cartilage of cyclosporine-treated animals maintained normal architecture and cell viability 52 weeks after operation despite the gross appearance of skin rejection, while that of non-cyclosporine-treated animals was degenerated and destroyed by 6 weeks. These results suggest the possibility of whole-joint allografts in humans with the use of cyclosporine, as well as other organ transplantations.