Ultrarapid orthotopic technique for renal transplantation in the rat

An effective and ultrarapid technique for kidney transplantation in the rat is introduced. In this manner, physiological and immunological parameters could be tested without difficulty in small animals such as the rat. Shorter periods of warm ischemia were achieved by rapid harvesting and anastomotic times using a combination of the sleeve technique for the artery, a cuff technique for the vein, and the over-a-stem technique for the ureter. In 20 rats, total vascular (artery and vein) anastomotic times were 5.35 +/- 0.59 min, of which the artery was 4.30 +/- 0.40 minutes and the vein was 1.05 +/- 0.20 min. The ureter anastomotic time was 1.0 +/- 0.1 min. The surgical complications were three ureteral stenoses. The 15 day survival was 100%. Plasma creatinine and histological findings at 24 and 30 days after transplantation were within normal limits with no evidence of ischemic damage. The advantage of this technique is its effectivity and simplicity that allows for reduced times of warm ischemia. This is the fastest technique published so far in the literature. We propose this technique to be employed in all studies of kidney transplantation and preservation in the rat.