Cloning of Miniature Pig HIF-1α and Its Responses to Immunosuppressive Agents

Abstract

Miniature pigs are worth notice as candidate donors for xenotransplantation. However, donor organs are inevitably subjected to hypoxia, which causes vascular endothelial dysfunction. In this respect, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), the key factor for hypoxic adaptation, should be expressed in grafts. However, some immunosuppressive drugs have been reported to suppress HIF-1α in rat cells. Here, we first identified the cDNA and protein structures of miniature pig HIF-1α, and next investigated the effects of cyclosporine and FK506 on HIF-1α expression in endothelial cells of miniature pig. Thus, we conclude that FK506, rather than cyclosporine, may be recommended for xenotransplantation using miniature pig organs.

Key Words :

• Cyclosporine
• FK506
• Miniature Pig
• Hypoxia-Inducible Factor

Notes

*Authors Kim and Jung contributed equally to this work.