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Rat laryngeal transplant model: technical advancements and a redefined rejection grading system
Robert R Lorenz1, Olivia Dan, Michael A Fritz
1Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Disorders, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology
|December 25, 2002
Summary
This study refined the rat laryngeal transplant model, improving survival and evaluability rates. A new grading system was developed to assess transplant rejection in nonimmunosuppressed rats.
Area of Science:
- Transplantation immunology
- Surgical innovation
- Animal models in research
Background:
- The rat laryngeal transplant model, established in 1992, has been crucial for advancing human larynx transplantation.
- Previous iterations reported a 50% evaluability rate, with modifications aimed at improving outcomes and understanding rejection processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report modifications to the rat laryngeal transplant technique.
- To define a new rejection grading system using nonimmunosuppressed, allogenic transplantations.
Main Methods:
- Performed 50 allogenic laryngeal transplantations in rats (LBN(f1) donors, Lewis recipients).
- Harvested larynges at 1-20 days post-transplantation for gross and microscopic blinded examination.
- Utilized multivariable linear regression to develop a new rejection grading scale based on histologic and gross findings.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 100% evaluability rate with no vascular thromboses.
- Demonstrated increased rejection proportional to post-transplantation time.
- Developed a reproducible grading equation incorporating size, vascular flow, muscle, and thyroid parameters.
Conclusions:
- Modifications significantly improved animal survival and anastomotic patency in the rat laryngeal transplant model.
- The updated model shows reduced rejection rates compared to initial studies.
- The new rejection staging system will facilitate future research on immunosuppressive strategies.