The rabbit as an animal model for haemoperfusion: surgical preparation and use

In this paper the authors describe the surgical procedure to prepare rabbits for haemoperfusion experiments. The carotid artery and jugular vein are cannulated and a simple shunt device inserted to maintain patency of the vessels over a period of time. The cannulas and shunt remain patent and free of infection for some months. Specially designed outflow and inflow extracorporeal tubing sets minimize blood volume outside the body of the rabbit. The authors also illustrate the efficacy of this system in haemoperfusion trials to remove specific antibodies. Recently a system was described to remove mercury from the bloodstream of poisoned animals. The rabbit is a useful experimental animal for this type of haemoperfusion trial.