Consecutive organ transplantation in inbred rats: long-term results--Are organs recyclable?

Using 9-12-month-old Lewis rats, our laboratory performed consecutive organ transplantations to assess the technical feasibility and observe the histopathologies of prolonged transplants and implants over a rat's life span. This study includes a total of 688 cases of consecutive syngeneic organ transplantation, including pancreaticoduodenum (PD), en-bloc liver-pancreaticoduodenum-spleen-stomach (LPdSpSt), and spleen bearing ovary or testicle. A 52-month-old consecutively transplanted pancreas showed normal acini and islet cells.

Vanishing pancreatic grafts.

Comparison of pancreaticoduodenal transplants (PDT) and duct-ligated pancreas transplant (DLPT) were performed using syngeneic and allogeneic studies in rats. Both DLPT and PDT allogeneic grafts showed mild rejection. DLPT groups showed disorganized pathology and acini replaced by fat.

Gonadal tumors developed from consecutively transplanted spleens bearing gonad implants.

This study was conducted by consecutively transplanting spleens, which had gonads implanted previously. A total of 84 cases for infantile testicles and 106 cases for ovarian follicles were performed. In the case of ovarian implants, the results were determined by the total number of follicle implants.

Observations of rat ovarian-splenic consecutive transplants.

We examined the results after implantation of ovarian follicles by various modes in a total of 82 cases. One or five ovarian follicles were implanted into spleens in castrated female rats. In 20 cases among these, each five follicles were implanted into native and transplanted spleens after spleen transplantation (double implantation of the ovary).