[Animal modeling] - establishment of a mouse heterotopic limb composite tissue transplantation model

  Objective: To establish a stable mouse model of heterotopic limb composite tissue transplantation.

  Method: 25 pairs of C57BL/6 mice were selected for homologous heterotopic limb composite tissue transplantation surgery. Take the hind limbs of the donor mouse, detach them upwards along the femoral artery and vein from the lower edge of the inguinal ligament, electrocoagulate and cut off all branch blood vessels except for the femoral vein and femoral artery to the external iliac artery and external iliac vein. After cutting off the external iliac artery and external iliac vein, cut off the femoral and femoral muscles. Connect the donor's external iliac artery and external iliac vein to the recipient mouse's right common carotid artery and external jugular vein end-to-end. Continuously suture the donor skin to fix the limb at the edge of the recipient skin. Cut and ligate the distal tibial joint of the donor limb.

  Result: The success rate of surgery was 76%, with a total surgery time of (87.1 ± 10.1) minutes, donor acquisition time of (23.8 ± 4.9) minutes, and vascular anastomosis time of (55.3 ± 9.6) minutes.

  Conclusion: The success rate of heterotopic limb composite tissue transplantation in mice is high, stable and reliable, making it an ideal animal model for studying transplantation immunity.