Heterotopic heart transplantation in rats: improved anesthetic and surgical technique.

Abstract

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: A Ruzza, R Vespignani, L S Czer, M De Robertis, G N Wu, A Trento
• Journal: Transplantation proceedings (Transplant Proc) Vol. 42 Issue 9 Pg. 3828-32 (Nov 2010) ISSN: 1873-2623 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21094865 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Anesthesia, General
• Animals
• Graft Survival
• Heart Transplantation (adverse effects, methods)
• Male
• Microsurgery
• Models, Animal
• Rats
• Rats, Inbred Lew
• Time Factors
• Transplantation, Heterotopic
• Vascular Surgical Procedures