©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 7, 2026; 32(9): 111199
Published online Mar 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i9.111199
Published online Mar 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i9.111199
Small animal ex vivo machine perfusion of the liver: A comprehensive literature review
Klaudija Bickaite-Bausiene, Bettina Leber, Philipp Stiegler, Division of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz 8036, Steier
Klaudija Bickaite-Bausiene, Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, Kestutis Strupas, Clinic of Gastroen
Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, Experimental Surgery and Oncology Laboratory, Translational Health Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius 08406, Lithuania
Bernardas Bausys, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius 03101, Lithuania
Dagmar Brislinger, Department of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Graz 8010, Steiermark, Austria
Author contributions: Bickaite-Bausiene K conducted the research and wrote the main manuscript text; Kvietkauskas M and Bausys B provided significant support in data analysis, interpretation, and manuscript preparation; Leber B and Brislinger D contributed to the critical review and editing of the manuscript; Strupas K and Stiegler P supervised the project, contributed to the conceptual design, and provided critical revisions; all authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Corresponding author: Klaudija Bickaite-Bausiene, MD, Doctor, Division of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, Graz 8036, Steiermark, Austria. klaudija.bickaite@santa.lt
Received: June 25, 2025
Revised: September 29, 2025
Accepted: January 19, 2026
Published online: March 7, 2026
Processing time: 247 Days and 17.2 Hours
Revised: September 29, 2025
Accepted: January 19, 2026
Published online: March 7, 2026
Processing time: 247 Days and 17.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Small animal liver machine perfusion models are essential for studying dynamic liver preservation in transplantation research. Rat liver perfusion provides a cost-effective and accessible platform, but currently no standardized protocols exist, limiting reproducibility and progress. This review highlights variations in existing studies, technical challenges, and limitations, emphasizing the urgent need for standardization. By summarizing key developments and system differences, it offers researchers practical insights to optimize perfusion strategies, improve reproducibility, and reduce animal use in future studies.