Establishment of a rat liver transplantation model with prolonged biliary warm ischemia time

Figure 1 Surgical procedure for a rat model of autologous liver transplantation with continuous external biliary drainage. A: Lactated Ringer’s solution was perfused by an infusion pump through the portal vein and the abdominal aorta; B: A polyethylene catheter was inserted into the common bile duct for external biliary drainage; C: The free ends of external biliary drainage tube and jejunal fistula tube were connected.

Figure 2 Pathological examination of the lung after the death of three rats in group IV (hematoxylin-eosin; original magnification × 400).

Figure 3 With the prolongation of secondary biliary warm ischemia time, more biliary epithelial cells became apoptotic. A: Biliary epithelial cell apoptosis in group I at 24 h after hepatic arterial (HA) reperfusion; B: Biliary epithelial cell apoptosis in group IV at 24 h after HA reperfusion (hematoxylin-eosin; original magnification × 400).

Figure 4 Histological examination of the liver at 24 h after hepatic arterial reperfusion. A: Cholangiocyte injury can be found in group I; B: More marked injury occurs in group IV (hematoxylin-eosin; original magnification × 400).