A rat fatty liver transplant model.

A rat model of fatty liver transplantation has been developed to study primary nonfunction in fatty liver grafts. ACI rats were fed with a diet deficient in choline and methionine for 7, 14, 28, and 42 days. Fat content in the pretransplant livers was examined by gas chromatography and histology. The main constituent of the fatty droplets was determined to be triglyceride. The triglyceride concentration reached a maximum by day 14 and remained constant for an additional 28 days. Histology revealed an absence of necrosis in 14- and 28-day fatty livers but scattered hepatocytic necrosis and inflammation in 42-day fatty livers. After being given cold (UW stored, 4 degrees C) or warm (37 degrees C) ischemia, the fatty liver was orthotopically transplanted into normal ACI rats. The one-week survival of fatty liver grafts after 6, 12, 18, and 24 hr cold preservation was 5/5, 5/6, 3/8, 0/6 for 14-day fatty liver and 5/5, 4/6, 0/8, 0/6 for 42-day fatty livers. The survival of normal liver grafts was 5/5, 6/6, 5/9, 2/8, respectively. Increased survival rate was correlated with the absence of hepatocytic necrosis. The survival after 15 and 30 min warm ischemia prior to transplant was 5/5, 2/6 for normal liver grafts and 4/7, 0/6 for 28-day fatty liver graft, respectively. Fatty livers were less resistant to damage induced by cold or warm ischemia.