title: Modified technique for heterotopic rat heart transplantation under cardioplegic arrest.
abstract: The development of microsurgical techniques offers a valuable opportunity to use small animals for experimental studies of vascularized organ transplants. Availability of inbred strains, natural resistance to infection, and economy make the rat an ideal animal model to investigate the effects of heart transplantation. The recent high interest and substantial laboratory activity with regard to posttransplantory immunological tissue reactions and apoptotic tissue processes led us to optimize transplantation technique by improving myocardial protection during ischemia and thereby minimizing adverse effects of the transplantation procedure itself. Thus the present report details the technique of heterotopic heart transplantation in rats using cardioplegic arrest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hoerstrup
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stammberger
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hillinger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zünd
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lachat
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D006085:Graft Survival; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000601:surgery