Objective: To establish a simple and reliable rat model of simultaneous liver and kidney transplantation.
Methods: The simultaneous transplantation was performed in healthy male SD rats as the recipients and other SD rats of either gender as the donors. The donor liver and kidney were resected simultaneously and grafted into the recipients whose corresponding organs were previously removed. Anastomosis of the portal vein and the inferior vein cava (IVC) inferior to the kidney between the graft and the recipient was performed by a double cuff method, followed by end-to-side anastomosis of the IVC superior to the liver between the donor and the recipient. The urethra and bile duct were anastomised using a simple inside bracket.
Results: The time for blood vessel anastomosis and for recipient operation were reduced, with a success rate of 73.3% in the operations. The function of the grafted liver and kidney remained normal.
Conclusion: This rat model of simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation is simple and reliable.