Development of techniques for gastrojejunal bypass surgery in obese mice.

We have previously described a duodenojejunal bypass (DJB) surgical model in healthy C57BL/6 mice. However, our pilot study showed that the same surgical technique caused a high mortality rate in obese mice. In this study, to significantly improve animal survival rate following bariatric surgery and thereby providing a stable surgical model for the study of glucose homeostasis in obese mice, we have used modified techniques and developed the end-to-side gastrojejunal bypass (GJB) surgery in obese C57BL/6 with impaired glucose tolerance.

Free bone graft attenuates acute rejection and in combination with cyclosporin a leads to indefinite cardiac allograft survival.

We report on a novel approach aimed at preventing acute vascular rejection (AVR), one of the major unresolved hurdles of clinical transplantation. In a C3H-to-BALB/c heterotopic heart transplant model, we demonstrate that free bone transplantation combined with cyclosporin A suppresses antidonor Ab responses, induces indefinite cardiac allograft survival (>100 days), and preserves graft architecture. In contrast, untreated- or cyclosporin A alone-treated recipients rejected their cardiac grafts on days 7.

Establishment of duodenojejunal bypass surgery in mice: a model designed for diabetic research.

We have developed a mouse duodenojejunal bypass (DJB) surgical model that is for studying the effects of bariatric surgery on glucose homeostasis and has potential to impact clinical therapy of diabetes. The operation consists of using the majority of the duodenum and proximal part of the jejunum for biliopancreatic diversion. The distal end of the jejunum is anastomosed in an end-to-end fashion to the remaining proximal end of the duodenum just distal to the pylorus.

Induction of indefinite cardiac allograft survival correlates with toll-like receptor 2 and 4 downregulation after serine protease inhibitor-1 (Serp-1) treatment.

Background: Innate immunity provides obstacles to successful organ transplantation, which cannot be prevented by cyclosporine (CsA). Here we have determined the potential of a myxoma viral serpin, Serp-1, with proven anti-inflammatory and antiatherogenic actions, to modulate innate immunity and contribute synergistically with CsA in the prevention of acute cardiac allograft rejection.

Methods: Brown-Norway rat hearts were heterotopically transplanted into Lewis rats and given either a monotherapy treatment of Serp-1, a subtherapeutic dose of CsA, or the two drugs in combination.