Experimental study of genistein in preventing and treating transplant arteriosclerosis in arotic transplantation of rat

[Objective] To study the protective effects of genistein(GEN) in preventing and treating transplant arteriosclerosis and potential mechanisms. [Methods] Arotic transplantation was performed with male Brown-Norway rats as donors and male Lewis rats as recipients. The recipients in the experiment was randomly divided into four groups: (1) high-dose group (n=8), the recipients were administered with GEN at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight for 60 days continuously; (2) high-low dose group (n=8), at a dose of 20 mg/kg for 14 days and at dose of 2 mg/kg for 46 days continuously; (3) solvent control (n=5), 0.5 mL DMSO for 60 days; (4) control (n=5), no treatment. Histological changes were monitored 60 days after transplantation, and the average depth of intima was calculated with computer imaging analysis systes. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect infiltration of CD4+, CD8+ T lymphocyte in the transplanted vessels, and ELISA to detect the change of VEGF in different group. [Results] Compared with two control groups, there were less lymphocytes and macrophages infiltration, the average depth of intima in two experimental groups markedly lowed (seperatedly P 0.001) and infiltration of CD4+, CD8+ T lymphocyte in the transplanted vessels was less (seperatedly P 0.01). Expression of VEGF in high dose group was lower than that in two control (8.6731±1.0466 Vs 21.8340±0.7558 and 23.2068±1.2028 P 0.01), but there was no statistic difference compared with high-low dose group. [Conclusion] Genistein can prevent the development of graft arteriosclerosis and the lowed infiltration of lymphocytes and the influenced expression of growth factors may be involved in the mechanisms.