Improved technique of mouse heterotopic heart graft retransplantation.
Research on chronic graft failure requires a graft retransplantation model to elucidate the affects of early transplant episodes on long-term graft survival. Prolonged ischemic time is the major hurdle for this retransplant model. Here we describe a novel technique of mouse heart retransplantation, with a shortened retransplant ischemic time and higher success rate. The primary heart transplant employed an allogeneic abdominal heart-transplant technique (Balb/C to C57BL/6 mice). Thirty to 60 days later, the graft was reharvested and retransplanted into the second syngeneic recipient (Balb/C mice) by using cervical heterotopic heart transplantation with a cuff technique. The total ischemic time of retransplant was reduced to within 35 min with the cuff technique, and a greater retransplant success rate (90.6%) was achieved. This heart retransplantation technique is a novel, useful tool in transplantation research.
Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. wzwzl@yahoo.com.cn
Kunjie
K
Wang
Nan
N
Zhang
Hong
H
Li
D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous