In this study, the effect of cyclosporine A, an immunosuppressive agent, was investigated on vasospasm induced in rat femoral artery.
STUDY DESIGN
Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into studyand control groups, equal in size. Each group was then assigned to three subgroups, namely, rats with or without arterial vasospasm, and no-operation. Following vasospasm induction, all the study rats were administered an oral dose of 10 mg/kg cyclosporine A. Seven days later the rats were sacrificed under ketamine anesthesia, tissue sections from femoral arteries were obtained, prepared, and stained for microscopic examination. The samples were photographed for measuring arterial wall thickness and lumen diameter.
RESULTS
Arterial lumen diameters were significantly decreased, and arterial wall thickness was significantly increased in vasospasm-induced control rats. However, cyclosporine A treated rats following vasospasm exhibited significantly less arterial wall thickness and greater lumen diameters, with less vacuolization compared to the smooth-muscle cells of vasospasm-induced control rats. Measurements of arterial wall thickness and lumen diameters showed significant differences in cyclosporine A-treated rats following vasospasm.
CONCLUSION
The results show that cyclosporine A is effective in the prevention of chrome arterial vasospasm in rat femoral artery.