Effect of Prostaglandin E1 Injected Into Donors in a Heterotopic Heart Transplant Model of Sprague Dawley Rats.

INTRODUCTION

Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) administered to patients in the immediate post-transplant period has been known to reduce ischemic reperfusion injuries (IRIs), but the effect on IRI of PGE1 administered to the donor is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on IRI of PGE1 injected into donor rats during heterotopic heart transplantation.

METHODS

Genetically identical male Sprague Dawley rats with a body weight of 300-320 g at 8-9 weeks of age were used for the study. Experimental methods were the same in the control (G0, n = 6) and experimental groups (G1, n = 6), but only the donor rats in the experimental group received an intramuscular injection of PGE1 (5 μg/kg) prior to the donor surgery. On day 1 the animals were sacrificed with the removal of the transplanted heart. Histologic analysis was performed in the hematoxylin-eosin-stained slides to assess interstitial edema and neutrophil infiltration by a pathologist.

RESULTS

Median times of the donor organ procurement, cold ischemia, and warm ischemia were 37, 69, and 35 minutes, respectively, in the G0 group and 38, 76.5, and 33 minutes respectively in G1 group; there were no statistical differences. Heartbeats were observed in the transplanted graft in 2 of the G0 group and 2 of G1 group immediately after heart transplantation, but in all transplanted grafts on day 1 after surgery. Histologic scores for neutrophil infiltration showed significantly lower in the G1 group than in the G0 group.

CONCLUSION

PGE1 administration to donors in a rat heart transplantation model may significantly reduce IRI.