Abstract: Objective  To establish an animal model for vagina reconstruction in rats. 
Methods  The vagina of female rats was surgically removed, and the small intestinal submucosal(SIS) matrix was placed in the cavity formed after the resection to reconstruct the vagina of the rat. Six rats were randomly sacrificed at 14 days, 1 month, and 3 months after the operation. The entire vagina was taken out to detect the growth of epithelial tissue, smooth muscle tissue and nerve tissue in the reconstructed vaginal tissue. Four rats were sacrificed at 3 months for functional evaluation by means of tissue bath assay. Different electrical field stimulation(EFS) was used to detect changes in the tension of the reconstructed vaginal tissue. 
Results  The rat model for vagina reconstruction was successfully established. At 14 days after reconstruction, the texture of neovagina was relatively tough and inelastic, which, however, gradually became softer with time. It became significantly softer and had a certain degree of elasticity at 3 months.Colposcopy after reconstruction revealed that at 14 days, some epithelial tissues could be seen crawling up from the entrance of the neovagina, accompanied by more inflammatory cell infiltration; the epithelial tissue could cover the entire neovagina at 1 month, and the epithelial tissue was more mature at 3 months. Regenerate epithelial tissues expressed AE1/AE3, and a small amount of tissues in neovaginal tissues expressed α-SMA at one month after reconstruction, suggesting the regeneration of smooth muscles. At 3 months, the expression of α-SMA increased and formed bundles. PGP9.5-positive nerve tissue was occasionally seen in the vagina reconstruction group at 3 months. In the tissue bath assay, slight contraction of neovagina was found under the EFS. The contraction pattern and change trend were similar to those of normal vagina, but the contraction intensity was significantly smaller than normal vagina. 
Conclusion  The rat model for vagina reconstruction was readily established. It can be used to evaluate the effects of various tissue materials for vaginal reconstruction, laying a foundation for a better vaginal reconstruction.

Key words: vaginal diseases； reconstructive surgical procedures, tissue engineering