Airway anastomotic healing in the rat tracheal autograft.
The healing of airway anastomoses after tracheal autotransplantation was studied in a rat model. Tracheal autotransplantation in length of five tracheal cartilaginous rings was performed in 46 PVGr1 female rats. The animals were sacrificed and divided into six groups as follows: 0-day control group, and 3-, 7-, 14-, 21- and 28-day study groups (n = 6-7/group). In laser Doppler measurements, blood flow was significantly increased in the lower anastomosis after day 7 and in the upper anastomosis after day 21 compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The breaking strength of the tracheal autograft increased after day 7 compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The total collagen content of the lower anastomosis was significantly decreased on days 3 and 7 compared with the control group (p < 0.05), but thereafter it increased constantly. In the upper anastomosis on days 3 and 7, there were significant histological alterations, especially in the tracheal epithelium, compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Tracheal anastomosis is most vulnerable during the first 7 days.
Hyytinen
T
T
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland. Timo.Hytinen@huch.fi
Paavonen
T
T
Inkinen
K
K
Ahonen
J
J
Mattila
S
S
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D051381:Rats; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D014132:Trachea / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014945:Wound Healing
D003094:Collagen