Preoperative application of combination of portal venous injection of donor spleen cells and intraperitoneal injection of rapamycin prolongs the survival of cardiac allografts in mice.

Objective: To investigate the effects of preoperative portal venous injection of donor spleen cells (PVIDSC) and intraperitoneal injection of rapamycin in the acute rejection of cardiac allograft in mice and the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Homogenous female B6 mice and BALB/c mice were used as recipients and donors of heart transplantation. These mice were randomly divided into different groups and received PVIDSC alone, rapamycin alone, or PVIDSC and rapamycin combined therapy.