Prolonged survival of pig orthotopic heart grafts treated with cyclosporin A

Abstract

Cyclosporin A was given to pigs receiving orthotopic cardiac allografts from donors mismatched at the major locus. Median survival in 20 control pigs was only 6 days; in 5 pigs given cyclosporin A at 15 mg/kg on 3 days median survival was 22 days; and when 6 animals were given 25 mg/kg intramuscularly for 2 days and then orally median survival is greater than 68 days, with 4 animals still alive.