Immunological enhancement of rat small intestinal allografts.

In an attempt to evaluate whether survival of rat intestinal allografts could be extended by the administration of enhancing serum, Lewis-Brown Norway small intestine was transplanted to Lewis recipients, using microsurgical techniques. Only multiple injections of serum, administered on alternate days, resulted in a prolongation of survival by a few days. Neither graft irradiation nor a single injection of antiserum was effective in increasing survival time of the transplanted intestine. Clinical trials of intestinal transplantation from cadaver donors will probably have to await a clearer understanding of various methods of altering host responsiveness to foreign tissue. At the present time, central venous nutrition offers the best solution to the patient with an insufficient length of small intestine.