LEFT SINGLE-LUNG ALLOTRANSPLANTATION WITH OR WITHOUT BRONCHIAL ARTERYREVASCULARIZATION IN PIGS - DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL WITH A 5-WEEK SURVIVAL

After lung transplantation, immunological mechanisms are easier to und erstand if the pathologist can examine larger piecies of tissues than those obtained by endoscopic biopsies. The purpose of this study was t o test the experimental left-lung transplantation in the pig, performe d with or without bronchial arterial revascularization and with a surv ival of 5 weeks. Three animals were only thoracotomised (sham-operated ), ten were allotransplanted withoutand nine with- bronchial arterial revascularization. To optimize survival several clinical and paraclini cal parameters were used: laboratory, immunological, endoscopic and fl owmetric examinations. Seven of the nineteen transplanted animals surv ived until the fifth week. Long-term survival is possible and depends mainly on the development of pulmonary sepsis. We observed an increase of the pulmonary vascular resistances and pressures in the allo-trans planted animals. In these animals, histologic examination showed lymph oplasmocytic infiltration in the interalveolar walls and the number of ciliated epithelial cells decreased on the main and lobar bronchi. Ou r observations suggest that CD8 lymphocytic infiltration is predominan t on the bronchi after transplantation and that rejection may occur in the pig. Class 2 DR Swine Leukocyte Antigen does not seem to be expre ssed on the bronchi in the allo-transplanted pig after 5 weeks. Finall y, it is very difficult to demonstrate the patency of bronchial arteri al grafts after 5 weeks and therefore to prove the influence of revasc ularization.