Experimental allogenic penile transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of allogenic penile transplantation (PTx) for creating a source of viable penile tissue for use in penile reconstruction.


METHODS
The entire penis from an adult Brown-Norway rat was transplanted into a pouch created in the omentum of an adult Lewis rat (fully allogenic PTx, n = 23). Recipients were divided into 2 groups according to immunosuppressant (FK506) usage: in the FK+ group, FK506 (0.6 mg/kg/d) was administered intraperitoneally until a predetermined day (day 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, or 21) after PTx, and then the grafts were harvested. No FK506 was used in the FK- group. Syngeneic PTx (n = 8) patients were used as controls. All grafts were stained with H&E for histologic examination.


RESULTS
At laparotomy, each successfully transplanted penis appeared as a cylindrical mass in the omentum. Grafts could be mobilized to the genital area because of a long omental pedicle. Graft survival in the control and FK+ groups was 100%. Rejection was minimal to moderate in FK+ grafts harvested on days 3 and 5 after PTx and minimal or absent in FK+ grafts harvested on days 7, 10, 14, and 21. Penile structure on H&E staining was normal in FK+ and control specimens. Rejection with massive cellular infiltration was observed in all FK- grafts.


CONCLUSIONS
FK506 successfully prevented rejection in allogenic PTx, and the authors' technique has potential for creating viable penile tissue that could be used as an option for penile reconstruction.
Koga
Hiroyuki
H
Department of Pediatric Surgery and The Central Laboratory, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Yamataka
Atsuyuki
A
Wang
Kun
K
Kato
Yoshifumi
Y
Lane
Geoffrey J
GJ
Kobayashi
Hiroyuki
H
Sueyoshi
Noriyoshi
N
Miyano
Takeshi
T
D000818:Animals; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D000093667:Penile Transplantation
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016559:Tacrolimus