Irradiation before and donor splenocyte infusion immediately after transplantation induce tolerance to lung, but not heart allografts in miniature swine.

Solid organs may differ in their potential to induce and maintain a state of donor-specific tolerance. Previously, we induced stable immunological tolerance in a lung transplantation model in miniature swine. Here, we wished to transfer this established protocol into a heart transplantation model in miniature swine.

Augmentation of Transient Donor Cell Chimerism and Alloantigen-Specific Regulation of Lung Transplants in Miniature Swine.

Donor alloantigen infusion induces T cell regulation and transplant tolerance in small animals. Here, we study donor splenocyte infusion in a large animal model of pulmonary transplantation. Major histocompatibility complex-mismatched single lung transplantation was performed in 28 minipigs followed by a 28-day course of methylprednisolone and tacrolimus.

Two axial-flow Synergy Micro-Pumps as a biventricular assist device in an ovine animal model.

Objective: This study investigated the use of 2 Synergy Micro-Pumps for full biventricular assist device (BiVAD) support. We examined right-sided and left-sided hemodynamic parameters over a range of right-sided and left-sided pump speeds in an acute, fibrillating, non-beating-heart model in sheep.

Methods: Five juvenile sheep (43 ± 2 kg) were implanted with two Synergy Micro-Pumps (CircuLite Inc, Saddle Brook, NJ), 1 in the right (RV) and 1 in the left ventricle (LV), through a median sternotomy.

Quantitative lymphatic vessel trait analysis suggests Vcam1 as candidate modifier gene of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic debilitating disease resulting from a complex interaction of multiple genetic factors with the environment. To identify modifier genes of IBD, we used an F2 intercross of IBD-resistant C57BL/6J-Il10(-/-) mice and IBD-susceptible C3H/HeJBir-Il10(-/-) (C3Bir-Il10(-/-)) mice. We found a prominent involvement of lymphatic vessels in IBD and applied a scoring system to quantify lymphatic vascular changes.