ABSTRACT
Normal liver architecture and effective function of the grafted liver can be achieved and, in cases where rejection is avoided by appropriate matching of donor and recipient, normal life spans are observed. Liver transplantation in the rat provides not only a suitable surgical model, but can also be used in physiological, immunological, and biochemical research. In order to ensure the lowest possible outflow pressure in the rat, a right nephrectomy is carried out in the recipient. Rat liver grafts can survive for a normal life span with portal inflow only. Due to the relatively short ischemic period possible in experimental liver transplantation, no specific preservation of the graft is necessary. After completion of auxiliary liver transplantation, a total hepatectomy of the recipient can be carried out to make the graft nonauxiliary by resection of the two remaining right liver lobes. Heterotopic implantation can be complicated by the size of the graft, especially in clinical situations.
