[Effect of the survival of xenografts in animals].

A method of free xenotransplantation of skeletal muscles (from rat donors) to another species (mouse, hamster or guinea pig) has been elaborated. It has been shown that the muscle (gastrocnemius) of the donor animal acquires the property to survive and develop when wrapped in a cellophane film. The muscle should be kept wrapped in a cellophane film for up to 330 days. The transplanted muscle can survive and develop, acquiring normal histological structure, typical motor innervation and contractile activity. For xenotransplantation a fragment of the donor muscle corresponding to the size of the removed recipient muscle was excised. Mouse and hamster recipients were last examined 330 days, and guinea pigs 60 days after transplantation.