Brief Reports
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 14, 2005; 11(6): 917-921
Published online Feb 14, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i6.917
Establishment of a new pig model for auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation
Cheng-Hong Peng, Liu-Bin Shi, Hong-Wei Zhang, Shu-You Peng, Guang-Wen Zhou, Hong-Wei Li
Cheng-Hong Peng, Hong-Wei Zhang, Guang-Wen Zhou, Hong-Wei Li, Transplantation Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai 200025, China
Liu-Bin Shi, Transplantation Center, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai 200040, China
Shu-You Peng, Department of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Professor Cheng-Hong Peng, Transplantation Center, Ruijin Hospital, 147 Second Ruijin Road, Shanghai 200025, China. chhpeng@medmail.com.cn
Telephone: +86-21- 64370045-666043 Fax: +86-21-64333548
Received: May 7, 2004
Revised: May 9, 2004
Accepted: June 17, 2004
Published online: February 14, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To establish a new pig model for auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation (APOLT).

METHODS: The liver of the donor was removed from its body. The left lobe of the liver was resected in vivo and the right lobe was used as a graft. After the left lateral lobe of the recipient was resected, end-to-side anastomoses of suprahepatic inferior vena cava and portal vein were performed between the donor and recipient livers, respectively. End-to-end anastomoses were made between hepatic artery of graft and splenic artery of the host. Outside drainage was placed in donor common bile duct.

RESULTS: Models of APOLT were established in 5 pigs with a success rate of 80%. Color ultrasound examination showed an increase of blood flow of graft on 5th d compared to the first day after operation. When animals were killed on the 5th d after operation, thrombosis of hepatic vein (HV) and portal vein (PV) were not found. Histopathological examination of liver samples revealed evidence of damage with mild steatosis and sporadic necrotic hepatocytes and focal hepatic lobules structure disorganized in graft. Infiltration of inflammatory cells was mild in portal or central vein area. Hematologic laboratory values and blood chemical findings revealed that compared with group A (before transplantation), mean arterial pressure (MAP), central venous pressure (CVP), buffer base (BB), standard bicarbonate (SB) and K+ in group B (after portal vein was clamped) decreased (P<0.01). After reperfusion of the graft, MAP, CVP and K+ restored gradually.

CONCLUSION: Significant decrease of congestion in portal vein and shortened blocking time were obtained because of the application of in vitro veno-venous bypass during complete vascular clamping. This new procedure, with such advantages as simple vessel processing, quality anastomosis, less postoperative hemorrhage and higher success rate, effectively prevents ischemia reperfusion injury of the host liver and deserves to be spread.

Keywords: Auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation; Model pig