Circulating Galectin-3 Levels Increase in Syngeneic Rat Recipients of Vascularized Composite Allografts Subjected to Prolonged Ischemia
1University of Colorado, Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 2University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI
Meeting: 2022 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: 669
Topic: Basic Science » Basic Science » 14 - Ischemia Reperfusion
Session Information
Session Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm
Presentation Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm
Location: Hynes Halls C & D
*Purpose: During the process of transplantation, organs and tissue are necessarily subjected to some degree of hypoxic and ischemic injury during procurement, preservation and following reperfusion. Although clinical vascularized composite allograft (VCA) transplantation can result in good outcomes, skin and muscle containing VCA are highly susceptible to ischemic injury. Galectin-3 (Gal3) is an endogenous β-galactoside binding lectin known to play a role in driving inflammatory responses that can lead to chronic inflammation, venous thrombosis, vasculopathy and tissue fibrosis, all characteristics of chronic VCA rejection found clinically. In our rat VCA models involving syngeneic hind limb or face/eye transplantation, we measured circulating galectin-3 levels in recipients of grafts exposed to minimal and/or prolonged ischemia.
*Methods: Male Brown Norway rats underwent syngeneic VCA transplantation (hind limb or face flap transplant, including right eye, skin around eye and auricle, and part of the temporal bone), following 0 (n=7) , 6 (n=3) or 24 (n=3) hours of cold ischemia time. Both hind limb transplant and face flap transplant sustained around 1 hour of normothermic ischemia during the operation. Serum was collected 6 days post transplantation and galectin-3 was measured by sandwich ELISA. Continuous data is presented as mean (standard deviation) and compared using two-tailed t-test.
*Results: Galectin-3 levels averaged 4.83±2.39 ng/ml in recipients of grafts transplanted immediately without static cold storage (n=7), 10.34±0.46 ng/ml in rats transplanted after 6 hours cold storage (n=3, P=0.005 vs no storage), and 15.84±2.27 ng/ml in rats transplanted after 24 hours cold storage (n=3, P<0.001 vs no storage) (Figure 1).
*Conclusions: Circulating galectin-3 levels significantly increased within a week in rats transplanted with donor VCA grafts subjected to prolonged ischemia. Studies are underway to assess whether blocking galectin-3 can reduce ischemia reperfusion injury in this model.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Wang Z, Li B, Wang Y, Yoeli D, Nakra N, Su AA, Jani A, Mathes DW, Washington KM, Farkash E, Huang CA. Circulating Galectin-3 Levels Increase in Syngeneic Rat Recipients of Vascularized Composite Allografts Subjected to Prolonged Ischemia [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2022; 22 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/circulating-galectin-3-levels-increase-in-syngeneic-rat-recipients-of-vascularized-composite-allografts-subjected-to-prolonged-ischemia/. Accessed May 30, 2025.« Back to 2022 American Transplant Congress