The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 98, 127-135, Copyright © 1989 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Neonatal model of heterotopic heart transplantation in pigs
ED Verrier, TM Crombleholme, L Sauer, M Longaker, JC Langer, AW Flake, M Dae, H Brem and MR Harrison
Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco 94143- 0118.
To investigate the long-term success of heart transplantation in newborn
infants who have complex congenital heart disease, we have developed a
model of heterotopic heart transplantation in immature pigs. We chose the
heterotopic technique because it is simple, does not require
cardiopulmonary bypass or heparin, allows for significant size disparity
between the recipient and donor hearts, and allows for experimental
comparisons between the two hearts. Small newborn piglet hearts are
harvested, prepared, and then transplanted into the left chest of larger
weanling pigs to augment or substitute for the native left ventricle.
Preliminary data from transplants into 49 pigs suggest that the technique
is technically possible, the pigs can be immunosuppressed over the long
term, and the donor heart can contribute hemodynamically. Experimentally,
the model is well designed for the investigation of issues critical for the
long-term success of heart transplantation in infants and children,
including growth and development, optimal long-term immunosuppression,
differences in immunotolerance, and the study of coronary obliterative
disease. Clinically, the model has potential applicability in congenital
heart anomalies if one native functioning atrium and ventricle are present.