Sewed revascularization for arterialized liver transplantation in mice

Mouse models of liver transplantation are powerful tools for biomedical research. The cuff method is currently the most popular approach for revascularization of mouse liver grafts, as it is relatively easy to perform hence reducing the anhepatic time. However, the use of cuffs may induce a tissue reaction, causing chronic obstruction of anastomosed vessels, leading to portal hypertension. Here, we applied the suture technique for arterialized liver transplantation in mice.

Liver transplantation was performed on 14 pairs of C57BL/6 mice. All hepatic vessels were anastomosed by sewing. The bile duct was connected with a stent. The liver grafts were harvested for histology on day 30 after surgery. Serum aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin were measured at d 3, 7, and 30 after implantation.

With a mean anhepatic time of 25.78 ± 3 min, the survival rate was 86% (n = 14) at 30 d following surgery. During this period, no significant liver injury was observed as assessed by serum markers and histology. Survival remained stable when grafts were exposed to 6 h cold ischemia prior to implantation. Vessel examination at the end of the studied period revealed an intact patency and a lack of collateral vessel growth.

Arterialized liver transplantation with sewed revascularization in mice is technically feasible. Both sewing and arterialization seem to be important factors promoting the survival of mouse recipients. The mouse model of suture arterialized orthotopic liver transplantation provides a novel tool for modern transplantation research and might be particularly suited for studies requiring longer-term survival of recipients.