SEQUENTIAL BILATERAL ISOLATED LUNG PERFUSION IN THE RAT - AN EXPERIMENTAL-MODEL

Background. A model of isolated single-lung perfusion in the rat has b een established in our laboratory to study the chemotherapeutic treatm ent of pulmonary metastases. A sequential bilateral isolated lung perf usion model was designed to investigate the feasibility of staged perf usions in the rat. Methods. Twenty-four Fischer rats were randomized i nto three experimental groups of 8 rats each. All rats underwent left isolated lung perfusion. One, 2, or 3 weeks later, the rats in groups I, II, and III, respectively, underwent contralateral (right) perfusio n. Five control animals (group IV) underwent sequential bilateral sham thoracotomies 1 week apart. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed 1 week after the second operation in the rats in groups I and IV. Res ults. All animals survived the first operation, with 100% (8/8), 75% ( 6/8), and 100% (8/8) of the animals in perfusion groups I, II, and III , respectively, surviving the second operation. All control animals (g roup IV) survived the second sham thoracotomy. Arterial blood gas anal ysis did not show a significant difference in the oxygen or carbon dio xide partial pressure or the pH between group I and IV (p = 0.32, 0.96 , and 0.76, respectively). Conclusions. Our experiments demonstrate th at sequential bilateral isolated lung perfusion is safe in and well to lerated by the rat. This model can he used to investigate the safety a nd efficacy of staged perfusions with chemotherapeutic agents in the t reatment of bilateral pulmonary metastases in the rat. (C) 1997 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.