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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
Orthotopic Small Bowel Transplantation in Rats
Published on: November 6, 2012
Nutrient-related issues affecting successful experimental orthotopic small bowel transplantation
Payam Salehi1, Lin-Fu Zhu, Grant T Sigurdson
1Surgical-Medical Research Institute, University of Alberta, and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Division of Anatomical Pathology, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Canada.
Background:
This study tested the effectiveness of a nutrient-rich preservation solution in a small animal model of orthotopic whole small bowel transplantation.
Methods:
Lewis rats received syngeneic total orthotopic small bowel graft after cold storage for 6 h. Donor small bowel was flushed vascularly with University of Wisconsin (UW) solution and flushed luminally with UW solution or an amino acid-rich (AA) solution as follows: Group 1, no luminal flush; Group 2, UW solution; Group 3, AA solution. Biopsies were taken over 14 days posttransplant; energetics, oxidative stress, neutrophil recruitment and histologic injury were assessed.
Results:
All animals in Groups 1 and 2 failed to survive 12 h posttransplant due to hemorrhagic shock and fluid loss. In contrast, all animals in Group 3 survived the operation; survival after 14 days was 80% (4/5). In Group 3, full recovery of tissue adenylates (ATP and energy charge) to freshly isolated tissue values occurred within 3 days. Oxidative stress as assessed by malondialdehyde (MDA) levels was low in Group 3 throughout 14 d; Groups 1 and 2 exhibited high oxidative stress over the initial 35 min reperfusion (P<0.05). Neutrophil recruitment (myeloperoxidase activity) was significantly reduced in Group 3 tissues, as was histologic injury (P<0.05 compared to Groups 1 and 2). By day 14, Group 3 exhibited complete mucosal restoration.
Conclusions:
The data presented in this communication supports the use of an intraluminal preservation solution that is tailored to the metabolic requirements of the small bowel.
