Percutaneous liver core biopsy in rats:an alternative to minilaparotomy

摘要

Sampling of rat hepatic tissue for histomorphological analysis is usually performed in two different ways:either by killing the animals or by minilaparotomy.In this study we describe a percutaneous core biopsy technique which has been used on day 7, 14 and 21 after allogeneic rat liver transplantation (DA->LEW) in order to examine grafts for rejection in different treatment groups.Fifty-two liver biopsies were performed in 24 animals using a 16-gauge intravenous cannula.Forty-five provided usable specimens which were sufficient for both light or electron microscopy and immunohistochemical analyses to determine the degree of both light or electron microscopy and immunohistochemical analyses to determine the degree of graft rejection.In 7 cases(13.5%) sampling was unsuccessful,especially on day 21 after transplantation,as the plastic cannula could not penetrate the hardened tessue.In 3 animals (5.85%) puncture was immediately followed by death due to perforation of the diaphragm or ether intoxication.In conclusion,this technique is a reliable method for providing ample tissue samples from the rat liver with a low risk of complications.