title: Hepatic arterial reconstruction for orthotopic liver transplantation in the rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) models in rats have been investigated in many studies. The reconstruction of hepatic artery is required for reliable OLT and also requires advanced skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  The hepatic artery reconstructions by a hand-suture technique and a new method using a micro T-tube were investigated in rats with a whole-liver syngeneic graft. Operative time and postoperative patency were compared between the hand-suture and micro T-tube techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our technique using the micro T-tube shortened the operative time of recipient surgery compared with the hand-suture technique and prolonged the operative time for the donor. The patency ratio was maintained at 24h after OLT with hand suturing but was significantly reduced with the micro T-tube, which had a patency ratio of 0.83 only up to 6h after OLT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The micro T-tube technique may have potential usefulness in the rat OLT model but requires further modification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, Florida 32224, USA. horit@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomohide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Lindsay B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ann-Marie T
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Baine
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Aimee R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Herdt
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uemoto
authors.forename: Christopher B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Eckman
authors.forename: Justin H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D061646:Operative Time; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D014654:Vascular Patency