title: Novel technique for blood circuit reconstruction in mouse heart transplantation model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The surgical technique of heterotopic abdominal heart transplantation in mice, a standard model for transplantation immunology research, is very challenging restricting the widespread use of this model. A novel technique for the blood circuit reconstruction in heterotopic abdominal heart transplantation was developed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The new method makes use of the suprahepatic inferior vena cava instead of the pulmonary artery of the donor heart for the anastomosis to the infrarenal vena cava of the recipient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sutures for the double vessel anastomoses were completed within 20.8+/-1.3 min, which was significantly shorter than 27.5+/-1.3 min in the traditional method. Similarly, the heart rebeating time postoperation (1.1+/-0.2 min) was significantly shortened as compared to 2.1+/-0.4 min using the traditional method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This novel technique facilitated abdominal heart transplantation in mice with reduced warm ischemia and grafted heart rebeating time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jinyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Shengli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.forename: Heemann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uwe
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kribben
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Witzke
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D023421:Models, Animal; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000601:surgery*