Comparative Study of Prolonged Preservation Methods in Rabbit Heart for Transplantation

Jo, Hyung Gon; Kim, Su Hyeun; Kim, Song Myung

Abstract

The successful cardiac transplantation depends partly on the donor heart preservation by a solution that will ensure recovery of myocardial function. The purpose of this study was to perform the evaluation of various preservation solutions and to accumulate the data on the requisites for ideal preservation solution. The experimental setup was the constant pressure Langendorff's perfusion system. Isolated rabbit hearts were perfused for 20minutes with warm Krebs-Henseleit solution, stored for 4 hours in cold preservation solution after cardioplegia, and then were reperfused for 20minutes. The 4 experimental groups were prepared : Hartmann's solution group (group I, control), modified Euro-collins' solution group (group II, MEC), modified University of Wisconsin group (group III , MUW), and CK solution(made by the author) group (group IV, CK). The parameters for assessing the preservation ability were levels of enzymes in freezed myocardial tissues (lactate, creatine kinase-MB and adenosine deaminase), coronary flow, left ventricular developing pressure and dp/dt. In conclusion, the ability of preservation for isolated rabbit heart was excellent in CK solution and modified University of Wisconsin solution, and poor in modified Euro-collins' solution, compared with Hartmann solution. CK solution has low potassium concentrations(34.2mEq/L) and includes various substrates to be salutary on myocardial preservation. This fact may indicates the necessity of further refinements in selection or composition of electrolytes and substrates.