Improved technique of mouse heterotopic heart graft retransplantation

Research on chronic graft failure requires a graft retransplantation model to elucidate the affects of early transplant episodes on long‐term graft survival. Prolonged ischemic time is the major hurdle for this retransplant model. Here we describe a novel technique of mouse heart retransplantation, with a shortened retransplant ischemic time and higher success rate. The primary heart transplant employed an allogeneic abdominal heart‐transplant technique (Balb/C to C57BL/6 mice). Thirty to 60 days later, the graft was reharvested and retransplanted into the second syngeneic recipient (Balb/C mice) by using cervical heterotopic heart transplantation with a cuff technique. The total ischemic time of retransplant was reduced to within 35 min with the cuff technique, and a greater retransplant success rate (90.6%) was achieved. This heart retransplantation technique is a novel, useful tool in transplantation research. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2006.