Modification of technique for orthotopic liver transplantation model in rats

Objective:To investigate the modification of the technique for establishing rat model of orthotopic liver transplantation.Methods:Male Sprague-Dawley rats with similar body weights were selected as the donors and recipients.Two protocols were used for establishing orthotopic liver transplantation model in rats: one was Kamada's two-cuff method and the other was modified two-cuff method.The major modifications included the improvement of the anastomosis of superior and inferior vena cava,improvement of anastomosis between the portal vein and hepatic inferior vena cava,and the improvement of total bile duct reconstruction.The successful rate of operation,total operation time,anhepatic time,and the recipient operative time were recorded and compared in 2 groups.Results:The successful rates of the original and modified methods were 78.9%(71/90)and 91.7%(55/60),respectively(P0.05).No differences were found between the 2 groups in the total operative time,anhepatic time,and the recipient operative time.Conclusion:The modified model is simple and easy to be made,and can serve as a stable model for the study of liver transplantation.