The authors thank Christiane Pahrmann for her histological work.
Funding
Sonja Schrepfer has received a research grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (SCHR992/3 1 and SCHR992/4-1).]

Rats weighing approximately 250-300g are purchased from Charles River (Sandhofer Weg 7, D-97633 Sulzfeld). 
 Transplants are performed using PVG rats as donors, and ACI rats as recipients.
Rats are housed under conventional conditions, fed standard rat chow and water ad libidum.
All surgical instruments are sterilized prior to use.
Donor preparation:
Anesthetize rat with isoflurane (2,5-3%) using an induction chamber.
<ol>
 <li> Shave the abdominal and thoracic hair and place the rat on its back and place a facemask over its nose and mouth to keep up the anesthesia.</li>
 <li> Disinfect the abdominal and thoracic area widely using Provo-Iodine, next use 80% ethanol, repeat this step three times.</li>
 <li> Check reflexes pinching the hind feet to be sure that the rat is sufficient anesthesized.</li>
 <li> Exsanguinate the rat by opening the abdomen and cutting a hole into the abdominal aorta.</li>
 <li> Carefully open the thorax to find the descending thoracic aorta.</li>
 <li> Dissect the thoracic aorta from surrounding tissues like fat, nerves and the oesophagus.</li>
 <li> Withdraw a 1.5cm piece of the aorta using a couter, without tissue damage of the aorta.</li>
 <li> Perfuse the aortic graft throughly with cold sterile saline and store the graft at 4&deg;C.</li>
</ol>
Recipient:
Anesthetize rat with isoflurane (2,5-3%) using an induction chamber. Body temperature is maintained during the surgical procedure.
<ol>
 <li> Shave abdominal area and apply eye ointment to prevent the eyes from drying during anesthesia. </li>
 <li> Place the rat on its back and place a facemask over its nose and mouth to keep up the anesthesia.</li>
 <li> Disinfect the abdominal area using Provo-Iodine, next use 80% ethanol, repeat this step three times.</li>
 <li> Check reflexes pinching the hind feet to be sure that the rat is sufficient anesthesized.</li>
 <li> Perform a midline abdominal incision separating the skin and muscle in two steps to open the abdomen.</li>
 <li> Place the intestines in a warmed saline moisturized powder free glove. Fold the glove around the intestines to prevent loss of moisture.</li>
 <li> Remove the fatty tissue covering the abdominal aorta.</li>
 <li> Dissect the aorta form the infrarenal region to the bifurcation, careful not to cause damage on the branches of the vessels.</li>
 <li> If necessary ligate branches of the aorta.</li>
 <li> First use a microsurgical clamp on the infrarenal part of the dissected aorta to stop the blood flow.</li>
 <li> Next, place a second clamp close to the bifurcation of the aorta.</li>
 <li> Now that the blood flow is stopped, remove a short segment of the aorta.</li>
 <li> Take the donor aortic graft, that has been kept in 0,9% sterile saline on ice, shorten it to the adequate length and position it in the gap.</li>
 <li> Connect the donor aorta to the recipient aorta, performing running sutures using 8-0 prolene suture (Ethicon, Norderstedt, Germany). Start with the cranial end-to-end anastomosis.</li>
 <li> When the distal end-to-end anastomosis is finished, carefully open the distal clamp. </li>
 <li> When there is no bleeding after opening the distal clamp, carefully open the cranial clamp. In case of bleeding at the sutures, close the clamp again, locate the bleeding and stop the bleeding using one single stitch.</li>
 <li> There should be a visible pulse at the distal end of the aorta. </li>
 <li> Next move the intestines back into the abdomen.</li>
 <li> Flush the abdomen with prewarmed sterile saline.</li>
 <li> Close the muscle layer of the abdominal wall using 6-0 prolene running sutures (Ethicon, Norderstedt, Germany).</li>
 <li> Use 5-0 prolene (Ethicon, Norderstedt, Germany) running sutures to close the skin.</li>
 <li> While the rat is still in anesthesia, inject 4-5mg/kg Carprofen subcutaneously.</li>
 <li> To provide sufficient analgesia for this type of procedure, metamizol is added to the drinking water (50mg Metamizol per 100ml) for pain medication for 3 days post transplantation. </li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Deuse, T., Hoyt, G., Koyanagi, T., Robbins, R. C., Schrepfer, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Prevention+and+Inhibition+But+Not+Reversion+of+Chronic+Allograft+Vasculopathy+by+FK778.">Prevention and Inhibition But Not Reversion of Chronic Allograft Vasculopathy by FK778.</a> Transplantation. 85, 870-877 (2008).</li><li>Mennander, A., Tiisala, S., Halttunen, J., Yilmaz, S., Paavonen, T., Hayry, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chronic+rejection+in+rat+allografts.+An+experimental+model+for+transplant+arteriosclerosis.">Chronic rejection in rat allografts. An experimental model for transplant arteriosclerosis.</a> Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 11, 671-680 (1991).</li><li>Ono, K., Lindsey, E. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Improved+technique+of+heart+transplantation+in+rats.">Improved technique of heart transplantation in rats.</a> J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 57, 225-225 (1969).</li><li>Poston, R. S., Billingham, M., Hoyt, E. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapamycin+reverses+chronic+graft+vascular+disease+in+a+novel+cardiac+allograft+model.">Rapamycin reverses chronic graft vascular disease in a novel cardiac allograft model.</a> Circulation. 100, 67-100 (1999).</li><li>Schrepfer, S., Deuse, T., Koch-Nolte, F., Krieger, T., Haddad, M., Schäfer, H., Pelletier, M. P., Robbins, R. C., Reichenspurner, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=FK778+in+Experimental+Xenotransplantation:+A+Detailed+Analysis+of+Drug+Efficacy.">FK778 in Experimental Xenotransplantation: A Detailed Analysis of Drug Efficacy.</a> J Heart Lung Transplant. 26, 70-77 (2007).</li></ol>

No conflicts of interest declared.

For several reasons we found the orthotopic aortic transplantation model a more accurate way to investigate the development of TVP compared to the heterotopic heart transplantation model: 
Regarding the surgical technique, the aortic transplant model embodies an easily feasible method, requiring solely the accomplishment of end-to-end-anastomosis, whereas the heterotopic heart transplant model may be considered a more complex and error-prone challenge to the surgeon s skills, requiring end-to-side anastomosis on tw...

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		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
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<td>Surgical microscope (magnification 25x)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>Isoflurane</td>
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<td>shaver</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>Provo-Iodine</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<tr>
<td>ice cold 0.9% saline</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<tr>
<td>prewarmed 0.9% sterile saleine</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>eye ointment</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>glove</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>microsurgical scissirs</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>forceps</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>clamps</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td>8-0 suture (prolene)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>6-0 suture (prolene)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>5-0 suture (prolene)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Carprofen</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Metamizol</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Q-tips</td>
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orthotopic aortic transplantation: a rat model to study the development of chronic vasculopathy

Research models of chronic rejection are essential to investigate pathobiological and pathophysiological processes during the development of transplant vasculopathy (TVP).
The commonly used animal model for cardiovascular chronic rejection studies is the heterotopic heart transplant model performed in laboratory rodents. This model is used widely in experiments since Ono and Lindsey (3) published their technique. To analyze the findings in the blood vessels, the heart has to be sectioned and all vessels have to be measured.
Another method to investigate chronic rejection in cardiovascular questionings is the aortic transplant model (1, 2). In the orthotopic aortic transplant model, the aorta can easily be histologically evaluated (2). The PVG-to-ACI model is especially useful for CAV studies, since acute vascular rejection is not a major confounding factor and Cyclosporin A (CsA) treatment does not prevent the development of CAV, similar to what we find in the clinical setting (4). A7-day period of CsA is required in this model to prevent acute rejection and to achieve long-term survival with the development of TVP.
This model can also be used to investigate acute cellular rejection and media necrosis in xenogeneic models (5).

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Orthotopic Aortic Transplantation: A Rat Model to Study the Development of Chronic Vasculopathy at JoVE.com

Orthotopic Aortic Transplantation: A Rat Model to Study the Development of Chronic Vasculopathy

This video demonstrates the orthotopic aortic transplant model as a simple model to study the development of transplant vasculopathy (TVP) in rats.

Research models of chronic rejection are essential to investigate pathobiological and pathophysiological processes during the development of transplant ...

orthotopic-aortic-transplantation-rat-model-to-study-development

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12.1K Views.  University Hospital Hamburg. Questo video dimostra il modello di trapianto ortotopico aortica come un semplice modello per studiare lo sviluppo di vasculopatia trapianto (TVP) nei ratti.

Video: Orthotopic Aortic Transplantation: A Rat Model to Study the Development of Chronic Vasculopathy

Human Internal Mammary Artery (IMA) Transplantation and Stenting: A Human Model to Study the Development of In-Stent Restenosis

Preclinical in vivo research models to investigate pathobiological and pathophysiological processes in the development of intimal hyperplasia after vessel stenting are crucial for translational approaches1,2.
The commonly used animal models include mice, rats, rabbits, and pigs3-5. However, the translation of these models into clinical settings remains difficult, since those biological processes are already studied in animal vessels but never performed before in human research models6,7. In this video we demonstrate a new humanized model to overcome this translational gap. The shown procedure is reproducible, easy, and fast to perform and is suitable to study the development of intimal hyperplasia and the applicability of diverse stents.
This video shows how to perform the stent technique in human vessels followed by transplantation into immunodeficient rats, and identifies the origin of proliferating cells as human.

Human Internal Mammary Artery IMA Transplantation and Stenting: A Human Model to Study the Development of In-Stent Restenosis

This video shows a model to study the development of intimal hyperplasia after stent deployment using a human vessel (IMA) in an immunodeficient rat model.

Preclinical in vivo research models to investigate pathobiological and pathophysiological processes in the development of intimal hyperplasia after vessel ...

Development of Obliterative Bronchiolitis in a Murine Model of Orthotopic Lung Transplantation

Orthotopic lung transplantation in rats was first reported by Asimacopoulos and colleagues in 1971 1. Currently, this method is well accepted and standardized not only for the study of allo-rejection but also between syngeneic strains for examining mechanisms of ischemia-reperfusion injury after lung transplantation. Although the application of the rat and other large animal model 2 contributed significantly to the elucidation of these studies, the scope of those investigations is limited by the scarcity of knockout and transgenic rats. Due to no effective therapies for obliterative bronchiolitis, the leading cause of death in lung transplant patients, there has been an intensive search for pre-clinical models that replicate obliterative bronchiolitis. The tracheal allograft model is the most widely used and may reproduce some of the histopathologic features of obliterative bronchiolitis 3. However, the lack of an intact vasculature with no connection to the recipient's conducting airways, and incomplete pathologic features of obliterative bronchiolitis limit the utility of this model 4. Unlike transplantation of other solid organs, vascularized mouse lung transplants have only recently been reported by Okazaki and colleagues for the first time in 2007 5. Applying the basic principles of the rat lung transplant, our lab initiated the obliterative bronchiolitis model using minor histoincompatible antigen murine orthotopic single-left lung transplants which allows the further study of obliterative bronchiolitis immunopathogenesis6.

Obliterative bronchiolitis is the key impediment to the long-term survival of lung transplant recipients and the lack of a robust preclinical model precludes examining obliterative bronchiolitis immunopathogenesis. Unlike other solid organ transplants, vascularized mouse lung transplantation has only recently been developed. Here we show our independently developed obliterative bronchiolitis model after murine orthotopic single-lung transplantation.

Orthotopic lung transplantation in rats was first reported by Asimacopoulos and colleagues in 1971 1. Currently, this method is well accepted and ...

Orthotopic Aortic Transplantation in Mice for the Study of Vascular Disease

Vascular procedures involving anastomoses in the mouse are generally thought to be difficult and highly dependent on the skill of the individual surgeon. This is largely true, but there are a number of important principles that can reduce the difficulty of these procedures and enhance reproducibility. Orthotopic aortic transplantation is an excellent procedure in which to learn these principles because it involves only two end-to-end anastomoses, but requires good suturing technique and handling of the vessels for consistent success. This procedure begins with the procurement of a length of abdominal aorta from a donor animal, followed by division of the native aorta in the recipient. The procured aorta is then placed between the divided ends of the recipient aorta and sutured into place using end-to-end anastomoses. To accomplish this objective successfully requires a high degree of concentration, good tools, a steady hand, and an appreciation of how easily the vasculature of a mouse can be damaged, resulting in thrombosis. Learning these important principles is what occupies most of the beginner's time when learning microsurgery in small rodents. Throughout this protocol, we refer to these important points. This model can be used to study vascular disease in a variety of different experimental systems1-8. In the context shown here, it is most often used for the study of post-transplant vascular disease, a common long-term complication of solid organ transplantation in which intimal hyperplasia occurs within the allograft. The primary advantage of the model is that it facilitates quantitative morphometric analyses and the transplanted vessel lies contiguous to the endogenous vessel, which can serve as an additional control9. The technique shown here is most often used for mice weighing 18-25 grams. We have accumulated most of our experience using the C57BL/6J, BALB/cJ, and C3H/HeJ strains.

We describe a technique in which a section of the abdominal aorta from a mouse is transplanted orthotopically to just below the renal arteries in an allogeneic or syngeneic recipient. This technique can be useful in studies in which transplantation of large arteries of uniform size is deemed advantageous.

Vascular procedures involving anastomoses in the mouse are generally thought to be difficult and highly dependent on the skill of the individual surgeon. ...

Surgical Procedures for a Rat Model of Partial Orthotopic Liver Transplantation with Hepatic Arterial Reconstruction

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in rats using a whole or partial graft is an indispensable experimental model for transplantation research, such as studies on graft preservation and ischemia-reperfusion injury 1,2, immunological responses 3,4, hemodynamics 5,6, and small-for-size syndrome 7. The rat OLT is among the most difficult animal models in experimental surgery and demands advanced microsurgical skills that take a long time to learn. Consequently, the use of this model has been limited. Since the reliability and reproducibility of results are key components of the experiments in which such complex animal models are used, it is essential for surgeons who are involved in rat OLT to be trained in well-standardized and sophisticated procedures for this model.
While various techniques and modifications of OLT in rats have been reported 8 since the first model was described by Lee et al. 9 in 1973, the elimination of the hepatic arterial reconstruction 10 and the introduction of the cuff anastomosis technique by Kamada et al. 11 were a major advancement in this model, because they simplified the reconstruction procedures to a great degree. In the model by Kamada et al., the hepatic rearterialization was also eliminated. Since rats could survive without hepatic arterial flow after liver transplantation, there was considerable controversy over the value of hepatic arterialization. However, the physiological superiority of the arterialized model has been increasingly acknowledged, especially in terms of preserving the bile duct system 8,12 and the liver integrity 8,13,14.
In this article, we present detailed surgical procedures for a rat model of OLT with hepatic arterial reconstruction using a 50% partial graft after ex vivo liver resection. The reconstruction procedures for each vessel and the bile duct are performed by the following methods: a 7-0 polypropylene continuous suture for the supra- and infrahepatic vena cava; a cuff technique for the portal vein; and a stent technique for the hepatic artery and the bile duct.

Orthotopic liver transplantation in rats is an indispensable experimental model for biomedical research. Here we present our surgical procedures for orthotopic rat liver transplantation with hepatic arterial reconstruction using a 50% partial graft.

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in rats using a whole or partial graft is an indispensable experimental model for transplantation research, such as ...

A Model of Chronic Nutrient Infusion in the Rat

Chronic exposure to excessive levels of nutrients is postulated to affect the function of several organs and tissues and to contribute to the development of the many complications associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome, including type 2 diabetes. To study the mechanisms by which excessive levels of glucose and fatty acids affect the pancreatic beta-cell and the secretion of insulin, we have established a chronic nutrient infusion model in the rat. The procedure consists of catheterizing the right jugular vein and left carotid artery under general anesthesia; allowing a 7-day recuperation period; connecting the catheters to the pumps using a swivel and counterweight system that enables the animal to move freely in the cage; and infusing glucose and/or Intralipid (a soybean oil emulsion which generates a mixture of approximately 80% unsaturated/20% saturated fatty acids when infused with heparin) for 72 hr. This model offers several advantages, including the possibility to finely modulate the target levels of circulating glucose and fatty acids; the option to co-infuse pharmacological compounds; and the relatively short time frame as opposed to dietary models. It can be used to examine the mechanisms of nutrient-induced dysfunction in a variety of organs and to test the effectiveness of drugs in this context.

A protocol for chronic infusions of glucose and Intralipid in rats is described. This model can be used to study the impact of nutrient excess on organ function and physiological parameters.

Chronic exposure to excessive levels of nutrients is postulated to  affect the function of several organs and tissues and to contribute to the  ...

Murine Corneal Transplantation: A Model to Study the Most Common Form of Solid Organ Transplantation

Corneal transplantation is the most common form of organ transplantation in the United States with between 45,000 and 55,000 procedures performed each year. While several animal models exist for this procedure and mice are the species that is most commonly used. The reasons for using mice are the relative cost of using this species, the existence of many genetically defined strains that allow for the study of immune responses, and the existence of an extensive array of reagents that can be used to further define responses in this species. This model has been used to define factors in the cornea that are responsible for the relative immune privilege status of this tissue that enables corneal allografts to survive acute rejection in the absence of immunosuppressive therapy. It has also been used to define those factors that are most important in rejection of such allografts. Consequently, much of what we know concerning mechanisms of both corneal allograft acceptance and rejection are due to studies using a murine model of corneal transplantation. In addition to describing a model for acute corneal allograft rejection, we also present for the first time a model of late-term corneal allograft rejection.

Mice have been used as a model for studying many forms of transplantation, including corneal transplantation. We describe in this report a murine model for both acute and late-term corneal transplantation.

Corneal transplantation is the most common form of organ transplantation in the United States with between 45,000 and 55,000 procedures performed each ...

Isometric Contractility Measurement of the Mouse Mesenteric Artery Using Wire Myography

The wire myograph technique is used to assess the contractility of vascular smooth muscles in response to depolarization, GPCR agonists/inhibitors and drugs. It is widely used in many studies on the physiological functions of vascular smooth muscle, the pathogenesis of vascular diseases such as hypertension, and the development of smooth muscle relaxant drugs. The mouse is a widely used model animal with a large pool of disease models and genetically modified strains. We introduced this method to measure the isometric contraction of mouse mesenteric artery in detail. A 1.4-mm segment of mouse mesenteric resistance artery was isolated and mounted on a myograph chamber by passing two steel wires through its lumen. After equilibration and normalization steps, the vessel segment was potentiated by a high-K+ solution twice prior to the contraction assay. As an example of the application of this method in drug development, we measured the relaxant effect of a novel natural substance, neoliensinine, isolated from a Chinese herb, embryos of the lotus seed (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) on mouse mesenteric arteries. The vessel segments mounted on the myograph chamber were stimulated with a high-K+ solution. When the force tension reached a stable sustained phase, cumulative doses of neoliensinine were added to the chamber. We found that neoliensinine had a dose-dependent relaxant effect on smooth muscle contraction, thus suggesting that it bears potential activity against hypertension. In addition, as the vessel segment can survive at least 4 hours after mounting and maintain contractility induced by the high-K+ solution for many times, we suggest that the wire myograph system may be used for the time-consuming process of drug screening.

The wire myograph technique is used to investigate vascular smooth muscle functions and screen new drugs. We report a detailed protocol for measuring the isometric contractility of the mouse mesenteric artery and for screening new relaxants of vascular smooth muscle.

The wire myograph technique is used to assess the contractility of vascular smooth muscles in response to depolarization, GPCR agonists/inhibitors and ...

A Pre-Clinical Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation

Fifty-years following the first successful report, cardiac transplantation remains the gold-standard treatment for eligible patients with advanced heart failure. Multiple small-animal models of heart transplantation have been used to study the acute and long-term effects of novel therapies. However, few are tested and demonstrated success in clinical trials. It is of critical importance to evaluate new therapies in a clinically relevant large-animal model for efficient and reliable translation of basic studies&#39;&#160;findings. Here, we describe a pre-clinical large-animal (porcine) model of orthotopic heart transplantation that has been firmly established and previously used to investigate novel cardioprotective strategies. This procedure focuses on acute ischemia-reperfusion injury and is a reliable method to investigate novel interventions which have been tested and validated in smaller experimental models, such as the murine model. We demonstrate its usefulness in assessing cardiac performance during the early post-transplantation period and other potential possibilities enabled by the model.

Here, we describe a pre-clinical large-animal (porcine) model of orthotopic heart transplantation that has been firmly established and utilized to investigate novel cardioprotective strategies.

Fifty-years following the first successful report, cardiac transplantation remains the gold-standard treatment for eligible patients with advanced heart ...

Orthotopic Rat Kidney Transplantation: A Novel and Simplified Surgical Approach

Kidney transplantation offers increased survival rates and improved quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease, as compared to any type of renal replacement therapy. Over the past few decades, the rat kidney transplantation model has been used to study the immunological phenomena of rejection and tolerance. This model has become an indispensable tool to test new immunomodulatory pharmaceuticals and regimens prior to proceeding with expensive preclinical large animal studies.
This protocol provides a detailed overview of how to reliably perform orthotopic kidney transplantation in rats. This protocol includes three distinctive steps that increase the probability of success: perfusion of the donor kidney by flushing through the portal vein and the use of a cuff system to anastomose the renal veins and ureters, thereby decreasing cold and warm ischemia times. Using this technique, we have achieved survival rates beyond 6 months with normal serum creatinine in animals with syngeneic or tolerant kidney transplants. Depending on the aim of the study, this model can be modified by pre- or posttransplant treatments to study the acute, chronic, cellular, or antibody-mediated rejection. It is a reproducible, reliable, and cost-effective animal model to study different aspects of kidney transplantation.

The purpose of this manuscript and protocol is to explain and demonstrate in detail the surgical procedure of orthotopic kidney transplantation in rats. This method is simplified to achieve the correct perfusion of the donor kidney and shorten the reperfusion time by using the venous and ureteral cuff anastomosis technique.

Kidney transplantation offers increased survival rates and improved quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease, as compared to any type of ...

Reduced Complications after Arterial Reconnection in a Rat Model of Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

The rat orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) model is a powerful tool to study acute and chronic rejection. However, it is not a complete representation of human liver transplantation due to the absence of arterial reconnection. Described here is a modified transplantation procedure that includes the incorporation of hepatic artery (HA) reconnection, leading to a marked improvement in transplant outcomes. With a mean anhepatic time of 12 min and 14 s, HA reconnection results in improved perfusion of the transplanted liver and an increase in long-term recipient survival from 37.5% to 88.2%. This protocol includes the use of 3D-printed cuffs and holders to connect the portal vein and infrahepatic inferior vena cava. It can be implemented for studying multiple aspects of liver transplantation, from immune response and infection to technical aspects of the procedure. By incorporating a simple and practical method for arterial reconnection using a microvascular technique, this modified rat OLT protocol closely mimics aspects of human liver transplantation and will serve as a valuable and clinically relevant research model.

The goal of this study is to modify the rat orthotopic liver transplant model to better represent human liver transplantation and improve recipient survival. The presented method reestablishes hepatic arterial inflow by connecting the donor liver&#39;s common hepatic artery to the recipient liver&#39;s proper hepatic artery.

The rat orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) model is a powerful tool to study acute and chronic rejection. However, it is not a complete representation ...