【Animal Modeling】-Application of intracavitary shunt plug in rat abdominal cavity heterotopic heart transplantation

  Objective To investigate the application of intravascular shunt thrombus in establishing a rat model of heterotopic heart transplantation in the abdominal cavity.

  Methods Forty male SD rats were divided into a traditional group and an improved group, 20 in each group, and were anesthetized with 2% sodium pentobarbital. Donor rats were intubated by orotrachea, and mechanically ventilated after median thoracotomy. Cardiac arrest was induced by bolus injection of about 10 mL of HTK solution at 4°C through a 20G blunt needle inserted through the right common carotid artery. After the donor heart was obtained, it was stored in 4°C HTK solution. The traditional group still used the classic rat abdominal heterotopic heart transplantation for surgery. In the improved group, the following methods were used: the inferior vena cava and the abdominal aorta were clipped respectively, and the shunt plugs were inserted and fixed at both ends after incision of the blood vessels. The donor's main pulmonary artery and ascending aorta were anastomosed with the recipient's inferior vena cava and abdominal aorta. The inferior vena cava and abdominal aorta were clamped again, the shunt plug was taken out, the exhaust was closed, and the vascular clamp was opened after confirming that there was no bleeding.

  Results In the improved group, 10 of them were successfully operated, and the donor hearts survived for more than 72 hours. In the traditional group, 9 were successfully operated, and 1 died of postoperative anastomotic bleeding. There was no significant difference in total operative time between the two groups. The improvement group was better than the traditional group in pathological manifestations of lower limb muscle tissue, total ischemia time, CKM and LDH contents.

  Conclusion In rat abdominal heterotopic heart transplantation, the application of intraluminal shunt plug can shorten the time of vascular occlusion, reduce the difficulty of anastomotic blood vessels, and increase the success rate of the operation.