A new rat model to study the correlation of cardiac and skeletal muscle allograft rejection

As a first step to study the correlation of cardiac and skeletal muscle all ograft rejection, we describe a new experimental rat model of simultaneous heterotopic heart and cutaneous maximus muscle flap allotransplant. Brown N orway rats were used as donors and Lewis rats as recipients. No immunosuppr ession was given. The grafts were revascularized with sequential end-to-sid e anastomosis of each vascular pedicle to the infrarenal aorta and vena cav a. Syngeneic heart and cutaneous maximus muscle grafts remained functional and showed no sign of rejection at 7 days after the transplant. In contrast , both allografts developed severe rejection and functional compromise at 7 days after the transplant. Our experimental model is technically feasible and reproducible and may provide important information about the pattern of rejection of cardiac and skeletal muscle allografts. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.