The effect of a new immunosuppressive agent, FK-506, on xenogeneic neural transplantation in rodents.

This study examines the effect of a novel immunosuppressive agent FK-506 (FK) on the survivability of embryonic (E14) rat ventral mesencephalic tissue after intracerebral grafting to the lateral ventricle of adult mice. The recipient mice were given FK in doses of 10 mg/kg or 1 mg/kg for 2 weeks postgrafting, at which time they were sacrificed and histologically processed except for one group of animals on the high dose (10 mg/kg). In this group most animals died from side effects of the drug during the following days. Only the mice receiving the high dose of FK displayed healthy grafts without signs of rejection.