Objective: To investigate the response of the xenograft endothelium in the concordant hamster to rat cardiac xenotransplantation and the mechanism of acute vascular rejection. Methods: The animals were divided into 5 groups randomly: control group,CsA group, splenectomy group, D0 splenectomy+CsA group and D3 splenectomy+CsA group. Hamster heart was heterotopicaly transplanted to rat abdominal cavity. The graft survival was monitored by palpation of the rat abdominal wall. The histological and ultrastructural changes of the xenogafts were investigated. NF-κB and P-selectin expression in the xenograft were detected. Hene Oxigenase-1 and Bcl-2 expression were also detected in the xenografts of different groups. Results: The mean survival time of the xenografts in control group, CsA group, splenectomy group, D0 splenectomy+CsA group and D3 splenectomy+CsA group was 3.4±0.55, 3.8±0.45, 6.4±1.52, 30 and 7.4±1.14 days. The rejected graft showed typical acute vascular rejection in control group, CsA group,splenectomy group and D3 splenectomy+CsA group. Endothelial cells of the rejected xenograft showed dramatic assembly of ribosomes and expansion of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. However, the endothelium of the long-term survived grafts in D0 splenectomy+CsA group showed normal architecture. NF-κB and P-selectin expression were detected in the rejected xenografts. HO-1 expression was observed in the long-term survived xenografts in D0 splenectomy+CsA group. Conclusion: The endothelial cells of the xenograft might be activated during the acute vascular rejection. Expression of HO-1 might inhibit the upregulation of NF-κB and adhesion molecular which decreases the activation of the endothelium of the graft.