Comparison of FK 506, Mycophenolate Mofetil, and Aminoguanidine Effects on Delay of Corneal Allograft Rejection in an Experimental Model of Low-Risk and High-Risk Keratoplasty

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to compare the effectiveness of immunosuppressive drugs on the prevention of allograft rejection in a murine model of low-risk and high-risk keratoplasty. The therapy included FK 506 (tacrolimus; 0.2mg/kg), mycophenolate mofetil (30mg/kg), aminoguanidine (0.1g/kg), and combination of FK506 + mycophenolate mofetil or FK506 + aminoguanidine. The results obtained from the Gray’s survival model stratified according to the type of subjects suggest that a major rejection risk reduction was achieved using FK506; good results also were obtained for mycophenolate mofetil. Although the point estimates of both the survival and relative risk of rejection suggest a deferred effect of the combination FK506 + mycophenolate mofetil, this finding did not prove statistically significant.

Key Words :

• Allograft Rejection
• Aminoguanidine
• Corneal Transplantation
• FK 506
• Mycophenolate Mofetil