Home › Botany › Method of Isolated Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion in a Rat Model: Lessons Learned from Developing a Rat EVLP Program
Botany JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Method of Isolated Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion in a Rat Model: Lessons Learned from Developing a Rat EVLP Program

DOI: 10.3791/52309-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Set up and operate an ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) system in rats
  • ✓ Extract and prepare rat lungs for perfusion with initial ventilation
  • ✓ Assess lung viability and function using EVLP methodology
  • ✓ Apply reproducible techniques for organ transplant research models
Protocol

Biopharma Insights Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) has allowed lung transplantation in humans to become more readily available by enabling the ability to assess organs and expand the donor pool. Here, we describe the development of a rat EVLP program and refinements that allow for a reproducible model for future expansion.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~3–4 hours per rat (including surgery, extraction, and perfusion)
Model organism
Rat
Biosafety
BSL-1

Steps

1
Assemble ex vivo lung perfusion apparatus

Configure the EVLP system hardware, including perfusion circuit, ventilation apparatus, and monitoring devices according to protocol specifications.

▶ 01:45
2
Extract and initiate ventilation of rat lungs

Perform surgical extraction of rat lungs and establish initial mechanical ventilation to maintain organ integrity prior to perfusion.

▶ 02:41
3
Perform ex vivo perfusion of isolated lungs

Connect extracted lungs to the EVLP circuit and conduct perfusion while maintaining temperature, pressure, and gas exchange parameters.

▶ 06:11
4
Evaluate lung viability and functional outcomes

Monitor and record perfusion metrics, gas exchange, and tissue parameters to assess organ viability and protocol reproducibility.

▶ 07:51
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