A model of sequential heart and composite tissue allotransplant in rats.
BACKGROUND
Some of the 600,000 patients with solid organ allotransplants need reconstruction with a composite tissue allotransplant, such as the hand, abdominal wall, or face. The aim of this study was to develop a rat model for assessing the effects of a secondary composite tissue allotransplant on a primary heart allotransplant.


METHODS
Hearts of Wistar Kyoto rats were harvested and transplanted heterotopically to the neck of recipient Fisher 344 rats. The anastomoses were performed between the donor brachiocephalic artery and the recipient left common carotid artery, and between the donor pulmonary artery and the recipient external jugular vein. Recipients received cyclosporine A for 10 days only. Heart rate was assessed noninvasively. The sequential composite tissue allotransplant consisted of a 3 x 3-cm abdominal musculocutaneous flap harvested from Lewis rats and transplanted to the abdomen of the heart allotransplant recipients. The abdominal flap vessels were connected to the femoral vessels. No further immunosuppression was administered following the composite tissue allotransplant. Ten days after composite tissue allotransplantation, rejection of the heart and abdominal flap was assessed histologically.


RESULTS
The rat survival rate of the two-stage transplant surgery was 80 percent. The transplanted heart rate decreased from 150 +/- 22 beats per minute immediately after transplant to 83 +/- 12 beats per minute on day 20 (10 days after stopping immunosuppression).


CONCLUSIONS
This sequential allotransplant model is technically demanding. It will facilitate investigation of the effects of a secondary composite tissue allotransplant following primary solid organ transplantation and could be useful in developing future immunotherapeutic strategies.
Yang
Jun
J
Durham N.C.; Shanghai, China; and Hualien, Taiwan From the Divisions of Plastic, Reconstructive, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, and Cardiothoracic Surgery, Duke University Medical Center; Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital; and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University.
Erdmann
Detlev
D
Chang
J C
JC
Komatsu
Issei
I
Zhang
YiXin
Y
Wang
DanRu
D
Hodavance
Michael S
MS
Hollenbeck
Scott T
ST
Levinson
Howard
H
Klitzman
Bruce
B
Levin
L S
LS
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival; D006339:Heart Rate; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D015996:Survival Rate; D035441:Thoracic Wall / Q000601:surgery*; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents