Experimental small bowel transplantation using newborn intestine in rats: I. Lipid absorption restored after transplantation of nonvascularized graft

Background/Purpose: Utilizing the characters of neovascularized activity of newborn organs, the authors developed a rat model of small bowel transplan tation with a free graft of newborn intestine into the recipient's omentum. Methods: Segmental intestine from newborn rats were grafted into the omentu m without vascular anastomosis in a syngeneic combination (n = 19). The tra nsplanted intestine was examined morphologically and electrophysiologically 4 weeks after grafting. Then, recipients' small intestine was totally subs tituted by the transplanted newborn intestine, and recipients' survival was recorded after orthotopical reconstruction. During the experimental period s, feces of these rats were collected, and total lipid excretion was measur ed. The short-gut rats, whose small bowel was totally resected, served as a control(n = 12). Results: Thirteen of 19 grafts (68.4%) were judged as a histologically matu re intestine. They showed typical slow waves that were identical to those o f native small intestine. After all of the mature grafts were interposed, s ix recipients (46.2%) survived longer than 15 weeks. Control short gut anim als severely lost weight and died except for one. Conclusion: Newborn intestinal transplantation could restore severe weight loss in the short-gut rats and save them. J Pediatr Surg 34:1007-1011. Copy right (C) 1949 by W.B. Saunders Company.