caused in the original cardiac response. decreasing the release of cytochrome c caused decreased cell death during injury and disease. cyclosporin a also inhibits the phosphatase calcineurin pathway (14). inhibition of this pathway has been shown to decrease myocardial hypertrophy. veterinary use the medication is approved in the united states for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs. unlike the human form of the medication, the lower doses used in dogs mean the drug acts as an immunomodulator and has fewer side effects than in humans. the benefits of using this product include the reduced need for concurrent therapies to bring the condition under control. it is available as an ophthalmic ointment for dogs called optimmune, manufactured by intervet, which is part of merck. it is also used to treat sebaceous adenitis (immune response against the sebaceous glands), pemphigus foliaceus (autoimmune blistering skin disease), inflammatory bowel disease, anal furunculosis (anal inflammatory disease), and myasthenia gravis (a neuromuscular disease).