RIGHT LUNG TRANSPLANTATION FOLLOWED BY LEFT PNEUMONECTOMY IN THE RAT

Objective. To develop a rodent lung transplant model which depends on graft function for survival, total microsutureless lung transplantatio n was carried out and followed by contralateral native pneumonectomy i n the rat. Methods. Total non-microsuture right lung transplantation w as undertaken using a cuff technique with anastomotic areas twice as b ig as those for the left lung transplantation. Inbred rats received ei ther right (n=10) or left lung isograft (n=10) with non-microsuture te chniques and underwent contralateral native pneumonectomy 2 weeks late r to test the function of the grafted lung. Results. While none of the left lung recipients could be disconnected from the respirator after right pneumonectomy, eight of ten right lung recipients tolerated left pneumonectomy, increased body weight and regained exercise capacity ( oxygen uptake 49+/-4 ml/kg per min) comparable to that of control rats undergoing right hilar stripping and left pneumonectomy. Conclusions. The results suggest that the grafted right lung, but not the left lun g, allows survival, growth and exercise of the recipient. Right lung t ransplantation followed by native left pneumonoectomy may serve as a p hysiologic model of lung transplantation in the rat.