Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. May 27, 2024; 16(5): 1385-1394
Published online May 27, 2024. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v16.i5.1385
Establishment of acquired tracheoesophageal fistula using a modified magnetic compression technique in rabbits and its postmodeling evaluation
Han Meng, Fu-Yao Nan, Na Kou, Qin-Yan Hong, Ming-Sheng Lv, Ju-Bo Li, Bao-Jie Zhang, Hang Zou, Lei Li, Hong-Wu Wang
Han Meng, Fu-Yao Nan, Na Kou, Qin-Yan Hong, Ming-Sheng Lv, Hang Zou, Lei Li, Hong-Wu Wang, Respiratory Disease Center, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Han Meng, Fu-Yao Nan, Qin-Yan Hong, The First Clinical Medical College, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China
Ju-Bo Li, Bao-Jie Zhang, Department of Animal Experimental Center, National Center for Cardiovascular, Fuwai Hospital, Beijing 100037, China
Co-corresponding authors: Lei Li and Hong-Wu Wang.
Author contributions: Meng H, Kou N, Lv MS, Li JB and Li L designed the research; Meng H, Kou N, Li JB, Nan FY, Hong QY and Zhang BJ performed the research; Meng H wrote the paper, performed data analysis and prepared the first draft of the manuscript; Zou H and Wang HW provided technical support; Li L and Wang HW proofread and revised the manuscript; All the authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Both Wang HW and Li L have played important and indispensable roles in the experimental design, data interpretation and manuscript preparation as the co-corresponding authors. Wang HW conceptualized, designed, and supervised the whole process of the project. He searched the literature, revised and submitted the early version of the manuscript with the focus on how to improve magnetic compression technique. Li L was instrumental and responsible for data re-analysis and re-interpretation, figure plotting, comprehensive literature search, preparation and submission of the current version of the manuscript with a new focus on model evaluation. This collaboration between Wang HW and Li L is crucial for the publication of this manuscript and other manuscripts still in preparation.
Supported by Independent Scientific Research Project for Graduate Students of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (2023), No. ZJKT2023020.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All procedures involving animals were reviewed and approved by the Animal Experimental Center of Nongnong (Beijing) Life Science & Technology Company (Approval No. 202307001).
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hong-Wu Wang, PhD, Doctor, Respiratory Disease Center, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 5 Haiyun Cang, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100029, China. wanghongwu2015@126.com
Received: November 17, 2023
Revised: February 27, 2024
Accepted: April 16, 2024
Published online: May 27, 2024
Processing time: 187 Days and 18 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Previous studies have validated the efficacy of both magnetic compression and surgical techniques in creating rabbit tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) models. Magnetic compression achieves a 100% success rate but requires more time, while surgery, though less frequently successful, offers rapid model establishment and technical maturity in larger animal models.

AIM

To determine the optimal approach for rabbit disease modeling and refine the process.

METHODS

TEF models were created in 12 rabbits using both the modified magnetic compression technique and surgery. Comparisons of the time to model establishment, success rate, food and water intake, weight changes, activity levels, bronchoscopy findings, white blood cell counts, and biopsies were performed. In response to the failures encountered during modified magnetic compression modeling, we increased the sample size to 15 rabbit models and assessed the repeatability and stability of the models, comparing them with the original magnetic compression technique.

RESULTS

The modified magnetic compression technique achieved a 66.7% success rate, whereas the success rate of the surgery technique was 33.3%. Surviving surgical rabbits might not meet subsequent experimental requirements due to TEF-related inflammation. In the modified magnetic compression group, one rabbit died, possibly due to magnet corrosion, and another died from tracheal magnet obstruction. Similar events occurred during the second round of modified magnetic compression modeling, with one rabbit possibly succumbing to aggravated lung infection. The operation time of the first round of modified magnetic compression was 3.2 ± 0.6 min, which was significantly reduced to 2.1 ± 0.4 min in the second round, compared to both the first round and that of the original technique.

CONCLUSION

The modified magnetic compression technique exhibits lower stress responses, a simple procedure, a high success rate, and lower modeling costs, making it a more appropriate choice for constructing TEF models in rabbits.

Keywords: Tracheoesophageal fistula; Modified magnetic compression technique; Post-modeling evaluation; Pneumonia; Malnutrition

Core Tip: Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a complex condition with both congenital and acquired forms and presents a significant clinical challenge. Despite its importance, the methods for creating TEF models have limitations, particularly in terms of success rates and practicality. We compared the modified magnetic compression technique with the conventional surgical method for creating TEF models in rabbits.