Modified technique for heterotopic rat heart transplantation under cardioplegic arrest

The development of microsurgical techniques offers a valuable opportunity t o use small animals for experimental studies of vascularized organ transpla nts. Availability of inbred strains, natural resistance to infection, and e conomy make the rat an ideal animal model to investigate the effects of hea rt transplantation. The recent high interest and substantial laboratory act ivity with regard to posttransplantory immunological tissue reactions and a poptotic tissue processes led us to optimize transplantation technique by i mproving myocardial protection during ischemia and thereby minimizing adver se effects of the transplantation procedure itself. Thus the present report details the technique of heterotopic heart transplantation in rats using c ardioplegic arrest.