Delayed rejection of cardiac xenografts in C6-deficient rabbits.

Abstract

Puppy hearts were engrafted to C6-deficient rabbits, and also to complement-sufficient animals in order to determine the influence of the sixth component of complement on xenograft rejection. Delayed rejection was observed in the puppy hearts engrafted to the C6-deficient animals indicating that complement sufficiency of C6 is required for hyperacute xenograft rejection.