Improvement in method of rat orthotopic left lung allograft transplantation model

[Objective] To establish a new simple, safe, and available experimental model of rat lung orthotopic allograft transplantation by using a new technique and study its prospect of application. [Methods] Sixty left lung transplantation were performed by using 120 Sprague Dawely rats. In this orthotopic left allograft lung transplantation model, the donor lung was perfused continuously with lung preservation solution (low potassium dextran, LPD) at 4℃ through the pulmonary artery when anastomosis. The pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein and membrane section of bronchus were successively mattress anastomosed in lumen. [Results] Transplants were completed in 55 rats(91.7%), the mean time for anastomoses was 36.2±9.6 min, All survival rats were given immunosuppressive therapy. The survival rates of rats who received transplants were 70.9% at 1 week, 50.9% at 2 week and 21.8% at 4 week. Of the rats who received transplants, 1 died at 3 day after operation and found pulmonary thrombosis, and others had no sign of stenosis and thrombosis. [Conclusion] Rat orthotopic left lung transplantation with successive anastomoses in cavity is a valid, reproducible, single and cheap model for studying donor lung preservation, ischemia-reperfusion, acute rejection and chronic rejection about lung transplantation