Background: We have shown previously that the abrogation of acute and chronic rejection of rat cardiac allografts occurs through the down-regulation of RhoA pathway and involves the changes in RhoA kinase (ROCK)-dependent actin cytoskeleton and T cell motility. Here we studied the ability of the Y-27632, a highly selective inhibitor of Rho-associated protein kinase p160ROCK (ROCK1), to abrogate chronic rejection of the allograft and influence T cell infiltration. Methods: Heterotopic cardiac transplants were performed between donor Wistar Furth (WF) and ACI recipient rats. Controls received sub-therapeutic dose of cyclosporine (CsA, 10 mg/kg) for 3 days or 7 days therapeutic dose of cyclosporine. The experimental groups of ACI recipient received one preoperative dose of the Y-27632 inhibitor (2 mg/kg, gavage feed) in conjunction with the sub-therapeutic dose of CsA for 3 days or inhibitor alone for 7 days. The cardiac grafts were harvested at 100 days of post-transplantation for histological and immunohistochemical assessment of chronic rejection, vascular sclerosis, and infiltration by different T cell subtypes. Results: Cardiac allografts from recipients exposed to Y-27632 inhibitor in conjunction with sub-therapeutic dose of CsA showed drastically reduced vascular sclerosis, minimal myocardial total cellular infiltration, and were selectively infiltrated with Foxp3+ T regulatory (Treg) cells. Conclusions: Our novel finding that a single dose of the ROCK1 inhibitor Y-27632 attenuates chronic rejection in rat cardiac model system by promoting development of Treg cells warrants its potential as a novel therapeutic agent specific for the inhibition of chronic rejection.
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