Temperature control using a heat exchanger of a cardioplegic system in cardiopulmonary bypass model for rats

Small animal cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) model would be a valuable tool for investigating pathophysiological and therapeutic strategies on bypass. However, the rat CPB models have a number of technical limitations. Effective maintenance and control of core temperature by heat exchanger (HE) is among them. The purpose of this study was to confirm the effect of rectal temperature maintenance and hypothermic control using a HE of cardioplegia system in CPB model for rats. The miniature circuit consisted of a reservoir, HE, membrane oxygenator, and roller pump; the static priming volume was 40 cc. In the first stage of experiment, 10 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups; HE group was subjected to CPB with HE from a cardioplegia system, and control group was subjected to CPB with warm water circulating around the reservoir. Partial CPB was conducted at a flow rate of 40 mg/kg/min for 20 min after venous cannulation (via the internal jugular vein) and arterial cannulation (via the femoral artery). Rectal temperature was measured after anesthetic induction, after cannulation, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min after CPB. Arterial blood gas with hematocrit was also analyzed, 5 and 15 min after CPB. In the second stage with the same experimental setting, rectal temperatures were lowered in 10 rats to the target temperature of 32 degrees C. After reaching the target temperature, animals were rewarmed. Rectal temperature was measured after cannulation, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 min after CPB. Arterial blood gas with hematocrit was also analyzed, 5 and 15 min after CPB. Rectal temperature change differed between the two groups (P < 0.01). The temperatures of the HE group were well maintained during CPB, whereas the control group was under progressive hypothermia. Rectal temperature 20 min after CPB was 36.16 +/- 0.32 degrees C in the HE group and 34.22 +/- 0.36 degrees C in the control group. In the second set of experiments, the hypothermia targeted (32 degrees C) was reached in 15 min (from 35.56 +/- 1.05 degrees C to 31.75 +/- 0.47 degrees C). The rats were successfully rewarmed within the observation period of 30 min. Arterial blood gases and hematocrits showed no further significant findings. We confirmed the effect of rectal temperature maintenance and hypothermic control using an HE of cardioplegia system in CPB model for rats. This model would be a valuable tool for further use in hypothermic CPB experiments in rats.