Adhesion molecules play a crucial role in transplant rejection in regulating the interaction of inflammatory cells with cells in the vascular wall. In an aortic transplantation model, we have previously analysed the early adhesion process (7.5 min to 24 h) and the impact of cold ischaemia time (1–24 h) upon transplant arteriosclerosis during the first 2 months after transplantation in the rat. The aim of this investigation was to study adhesion molecules in accelerated transplant arteriosclerosis in a rat model by analysing the immunohistochemical expression of CD11b and ICAM-1 up to 2 months and followed by a semiquantitative evaluation and multivariant analysis. Antigen expression of CD11b and ICAM-1 adhesion molecules was stronger in the aortic allografts than in the ischaemia-induced syngeneic aortic grafts in the whole vessel wall. Neither ICAM-1 nor CD11b antigen expression correalted significantly with time periods of ischaemia/reperfusion injury in allogeneic or syngeneic aortic transplants. CD11b and ICAM-1 are induced by allogeneic stimuli in transplanted aortas suggesting a role in the pathogenesis of transplant arteriosclerosis. Our findings have implications for understanding the role of cell adhesion activation in the vascular wall subject to chronic graft rejection.