Ischemically damaged heart after preservation by the cavitary two-layer method as a possible donor in rat heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility of using an ischemically damaged heart, after preservation by the cavitary two-layer (CTL) method, as a donor in heart transplantation.

METHODS

Each donor heart was heterotopically transplanted to the recipient aorta. The grafts in Group 1 were immediately transplanted. In Group 2, the grafts with (a) 15- or (b) 30-minute warm ischemia were transplanted. The ischemically damaged grafts were transplanted after preservation for 3 hours in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution (Group 3) or CTL (Group 4). Five-day animal survival, tissue adenine triphosphate (ATP) concentration, biochemical assay and histopathologic data were obtained.

RESULTS

Five-day survival in Group 4a was 7 of 8, with significant recovery of the ATP tissue level (9.31 +/- 0.80 micromol/dry weight). Biochemical and pathologic examinations demonstrated that ischemia-reperfusion injury was prevented in Group 4a compared with Group 2a.

CONCLUSIONS

An ischemically damaged rat heart preserved for 3 hours by CTL was found to be a potential donor in rat heart transplantation.