A new heart failure model in rat by an end-to-side femoral vessel anastomosis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to develop a new shunting procedure for producing heart failure in the rat incorporating microvascular techniques and avoiding an abdominal operation.


METHODS
We performed an end-to-side anastomosis between the femoral vein and the femoral artery just proximal to their trifurcation into the saphenous, epigastric, and distal femoral vessels.


RESULTS
Of the 15 rats which underwent this procedure, six died within 48 h. The nine surviving animals were sacrificed and examined six weeks following surgery. All nine had developed cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac failure.


CONCLUSIONS
This model provides a relatively simple and reproducible means of creating high output heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy in the rat without necessitating abdominal surgery.
Ozek
C
C
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center, CA 94305, USA.
Zhang
F
F
Lineaweaver
W C
WC
Chin
B T
BT
Eiman
T
T
Newlin
L
L
Buncke
H J
HJ
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000601:surgery; D006333:Heart Failure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains