Discussion
Together, these data indicate that a seemingly minor technical difference in transplant surgery protocols can largely impact the cellular composition of the graft, and thus the mechanisms underlying TV after aortic transplantation in mice.
Methods
In this study, we compare the cellular composition of aortic grafts from BALB/C donor mice transplanted into C57BL/6J recipient mice using two different anastomosis strategies: sleeve and cuff.
Results
While both models recapitulated some aspects of human TV, there were striking differences in the cellular composition of the grafts. Indeed, aortic grafts from the cuff group displayed a larger coverage of the neointimal area by vascular smooth muscle cells compared to the sleeve group. Aortic grafts from the sleeve group contained higher amounts of T cells, while the cuff group displayed larger B-cell infiltrates.