[Assessment of immunossupresion induced by thalidomide, cyclosporine and diclofenac on skin allograft survival in rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: Allografting is one of the therapeutic alternatives for extensive burn victims without sufficient skin donor areas. This research studied the effects of cyclosporine, as an immunosuppressor model, and thalidomide and dyclofenac as anti-inflammatory drugs on an experimental skin allograft research.
METHODS: Forty-two rabbits were divided in the following groups (n=6): Group 1 - autografting control; Group 2 - allografting control; Group 3 - allografts under thalidomide effect (100 mg/kg/day); Group 4 - allografts under sodium dyclofenac effect (2 mg/kg/day); - Group 5 -allografts under cyclosporine effect (10 mg/kg/day); Group 6 - allografts under cyclosporine effect (5 mg/kg/day); Group 7- allografts under cyclosporine (5 mg/kg/day) plus thalidomide (100 mg/kg/day) effect. Drugs were given via orogastric tube since the day before transplantation and daily during the postoperative period. Circular total skin grafts of the ear were exchanged between California and White New Zealand rabbits.
RESULTS: Cyclosporine 10 mg/kg/day increased allograft survival and this effect was comparable to the association of cyclosporine 5 mg/kg/day with thalidomide 100 mg/kg/day. Thalidomide as an isolated drug and dyclofenac had a minimum effect on the average survival of the skin allografts. The number of eosinophils around the necrotic skin was higher in the dyclofenac group and lower in the group receiving cyclosporine associated with thalidomide.
CONCLUSION: This study showed that thalidomide may be an useful drug when associated with subtherapeutic doses of cyclosporine for treatment of skin allografts.