title: New method of stent-facilitated arterial reconstruction for orthotopic mouse liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterialized orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in the mouse mimics human liver transplantation physiologically and clinically. The present method of sutured anastomosis for reconstruction of the hepatic artery is complex and is associated with high incidence of complications and failure. This makes the endpoint assessment of using this complex model difficult because of the many variables of the technical aspect.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 14 pairs of donors and recipients from syngeneic male mice were used for arterialized OLT. The grafts were stored in University of Wisconsin solution at 4°C for less than 4 h, and the recipients underwent OLT using a two-cuff technique. The arterial reconstruction was facilitated by the use of a single stent connecting the donor liver artery segment to the recipient common hepatic artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 14 recipients survived with the time for arterial reconstruction ranging from 4-10 min. Patency of the artery was confirmed by transecting the artery near the graft 2 and 14 d after transplantation. At day 2, five of the six arteries transected were patent and at day 14, seven of the remaining eight were patent for an overall patency rate of 85.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The stent-facilitated arterial reconstruction can be done quickly with a high patency rate. This model expands the translational research efforts to address marginal livers such as steatotic livers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Shaotang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Arun P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Palanisamy
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: McGillicuddy
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Tom P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Theruvath
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Sukru H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Emre
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. Electronic address: chavinkd@musc.edu.
authors.forename: Kenneth D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Chavin
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002445:Celiac Artery / Q000601:surgery; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D015607:Stents; D014654:Vascular Patency; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Anastomosis; Arterialized; Liver; Mouse model; OLT; Obesity; Stent; Transplant