Open AccessA cross‐circulated bicephalic model of head transplantation
Author(s) -
Li PengWei,
Zhao Xin,
Zhao YunLong,
Wang BingJian,
Song Yang,
Shen ZiLong,
Jiang HongJun,
Jin Hai,
Canavero Sergio,
Ren XiaoPing
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
cns neuroscience and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1755-5949
pISSN - 1755-5930
DOI - 10.1111/cns.12700
Subject(s) - medicine , peristaltic pump , transplantation , anastomosis , surgery , reflex , anesthesia , artery , hypothermia , physics , meteorology
Summary Aims A successful cephalosomatic anastomosis (“head transplant”) requires, among others, the ability to control long‐term immune rejection and avoidance of ischemic events during the head transference phase. We developed a bicephalic model of head transplantation to study these aspects. Methods and Results The thoracic aorta and superior vena cava of a donor rat were anastomosed with the carotid artery and extracorporeal veins of a recipient rat by vascular grafts. Before thoracotomy in the donor rat, the axillary artery and vein of the donor were connected to the carotid and the extracranial vein of the third rat through a silicone tube. The silicone tube was passed through a peristaltic pump to ensure donor brain tissue blood supply. There is no ischemia reperfusion injury in donor brain tissue analyzed by electroencephalogram. Postoperative donor has pain reflex and corneal reflex. Conclusions Peristaltic pump application can guarantee the blood supply of donor brain tissue per unit time, while the application of temperature change device to the silicone tube can protect the brain tissue hypothermia, postoperative experimental data show that there is no brain tissue ischemia during the whole operation. The application of vascular grafting can also provide the possibility of long‐term survival of the model.