OBJECTIVE: An updated anesthetic and surgical technique in a rat model of heterotopic heart transplantation is described. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A microsurgical technique via a suprarenal approach was performed, and is described in stepwise fashion, and several technical improvements are compared with previous descriptions. Lewis rats were used as donors and recipients (syngeneic model). RESULTS: Factors that affected early surgical outcome included type of anesthetic used; surgeon skill, experience in handling blood vessels, and knowledge of small-animal anatomy; gentle manipulation during the operation; and duration of surgery (<1 hour). Use of isoflurane inhalation anesthesia (10 rats) vs intraperitoneal injection of ketamine, 75 mg/kg, and dexmedetomidine, 0.25 mg/kg (20 rats), was associated with improved early survival (90%) and no occurrence of paralysis, paraparesis, bleeding, or intestinal ischemia. Long-term survival (>11 months) with a functioning graft was achieved in all 9 surviving animals. CONCLUSIONS: Survival was substantially improved with administration of isoflurane anesthesia; surgeon microvascular surgical skills and knowledge of small-animal anatomy, and duration of surgery less than 1 hour. These factors collectively contributed to successful early outcomes after heterotopic heart transplantation in rats, with 90% freedom from morbidity and mortality, and resulted in long-term survival (>11 months) with a functioning graft in a syngeneic model. This heterotopic model in rats is suitable for short- and long-term studies of heart transplantation.
OBJECTIVE: An updated anesthetic and surgical technique in a rat model of heterotopic heart transplantation is described. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A microsurgical technique via a suprarenal approach was performed, and is described in stepwise fashion, and several technical improvements are compared with previous descriptions. Lewis rats were used as donors and recipients (syngeneic model). RESULTS: Factors that affected early surgical outcome included type of anesthetic used; surgeon skill, experience in handling blood vessels, and knowledge of small-animal anatomy; gentle manipulation during the operation; and duration of surgery (<1 hour). Use of isoflurane inhalation anesthesia (10 rats) vs intraperitoneal injection of ketamine, 75 mg/kg, and dexmedetomidine, 0.25 mg/kg (20 rats), was associated with improved early survival (90%) and no occurrence of paralysis, paraparesis, bleeding, or intestinal ischemia. Long-term survival (>11 months) with a functioning graft was achieved in all 9 surviving animals. CONCLUSIONS: Survival was substantially improved with administration of isoflurane anesthesia; surgeon microvascular surgical skills and knowledge of small-animal anatomy, and duration of surgery less than 1 hour. These factors collectively contributed to successful early outcomes after heterotopic heart transplantation in rats, with 90% freedom from morbidity and mortality, and resulted in long-term survival (>11 months) with a functioning graft in a syngeneic model. This heterotopic model in rats is suitable for short- and long-term studies of heart transplantation.
Authors: Richard Tee; Wayne A Morrison; Gregory J Dusting; Guei-Sheung Liu; Yu Suk Choi; Sarah Tzu-Feng Hsiao; Rodney J Dilley Journal: Tissue Eng Part A Date: 2012-09-04 Impact factor: 3.845
Authors: Mohammed Quader; Renee Cholyway; Niluka Wickramaratne; Oluwatoyin Akande; Martin Mangino; Eleonora Mezzaroma; Adolfo G Mauro; Qun Chen; Alexander Kantlis; Stefano Toldo Journal: Animal Model Exp Med Date: 2021-07-07