Published online Jul 15, 2003. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v9.i7.1550
Revised: March 4, 2003
Accepted: March 10, 2003
Published online: July 15, 2003
AIM: To modify the hamster-to-rat liver xenotransplant technique to prevent postoperative complications, and to study the inhibiting effect of multiglycosides tripterygium wilfordii (TII) on immune rejection.
METHODS: Female golden hamsters and inbred male Wistar rats were used as donors and recipients, respectively. One hundred and twelve orthotopic liver xenotransplants were performed by Kamada’s cuff technique with modifications. Over 72 hour survival of the animal after operation was considered as a successful operation. When the established surgical model became stable, 30 of the latest 42 cases were divided into untreated control group (n = 15) and TII group (n = 15) at random. Survival of recipients was observed. Liver specimens were collected at 2 and 72 h from the operated animals and postmortem, respectively, for histological study.
RESULTS: The successfully operative rate of the 30 operations was 80%, and the survival of the control and TII group was 7.1 ± 0.35 was days and 7.2 ± 0.52 d, respectively (t = 0.087, P = 0.931). The rate of conjunctival hyperemia in control group (100%) differed significantly from that (31%) in TII group (P = 0.001). Rejection did not occur in both groups within 2 h postoperatively, but became obvious in control group at 72 h after surgery and mild in TII group. Although rejections were obvious in both groups at death of recipients, it was less severe in TII group than in control group.
CONCLUSION: This modified Kamada’s technique can be used to establish a stable hamster-to-rat liver xenotransplant model. Monotherapy with multiglycosides tripteryguiumwilfordii (30 mg•kg-1•l-1) suppresses the rejection mildly, but fails to prolong survival of recipients.