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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 1998;13:431-441
© 1998 Elsevier Science NL

Alveolar expansion itself but not continuous oxygen supply enhances postmortem preservation of pulmonary grafts¹

^a Center for Experimental Surgery and Anesthesiology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
^b Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

Received 28 September 1997; received in revised form 2 January 1998; accepted 10 February 1998.

Corresponding author. Tel.: +32 16 346823; fax: +32 16 346824; e-mail: Dirk.VanRaemdonck@uz.kuleuven.ac.be

Objective: If lungs could be retrieved for transplant after circulatory arrest, the shortage of donors might be significantly alleviated. Great controversy still exists concerning the optimal mode of preservation of pulmonary grafts in these non-heart-beating donors. Methods: Graft function was measured in an isolated room air-ventilated rabbit lung model during reperfusion with homologous, diluted (Hb±8.0 g/dl) and deoxygenated (PaO₂±40 mmHg) blood up to 4 h. Five groups of cadavers (n=4 in each group) were studied: In the control group, lungs were immediately reperfused. In the other groups, cadavers were left at room temperature for 4 h after death with lungs either deflated (group 1), inflated with room air (group 2), or ventilated with room air (group 3) or 100% nitrogen (group 4). Results: After 1 h of reperfusion, significant differences were noted between group 1 and groups 2, 3, and 4 in peak airway pressure (27±5 cm H₂0 vs. 15±1 cm H₂0, 17±2 cm H₂0, and 16±1 cm H₂0, respectively; P<0.05), in weight gain (137±24 vs. 31±7, 30±3, and 30±2%, respectively; P<0.05), and in veno-arterial oxygen pressure gradient (9±5 vs. 95±13, 96±7 and 96±4 mmHg, respectively; P<0.05). Also, wet-to-dry weight ratio at end of reperfusion was significantly different (10.2±1.0 vs. 6.0±0.3, 5.2±0.3 and 5.4±0.5, respectively; P<0.05). No significant differences in any of these parameters were observed between groups 2, 3, and 4. Conclusions: These data suggest that: (1) pulmonary edema will develop in atelectatic lungs if reperfusion is delayed for 4 h after death; (2) postmortem room air-inflation is as good as ventilation in prolonging warm ischemic tolerance; (3) ventilation with room air is no different from that with nitrogen; (4) therefore, prevention of alveolar collapse appears to be the critical factor in protecting the warm ischemic lung from reperfusion injury independent of continuous oxygen supply.

Key Words: Lung ischemia • Lung transplantation • Non-heart-beating donor • Organ preservation • Reperfusion • Pulmonary vascular resistance

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				R. I. Gasparri, N. C.P. Jannis, W. J. Flameng, T. E. Lerut, and D. E.M. Van Raemdonck Ischemic preconditioning enhances donor lung preservation in the rabbit Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., December 1, 1999; 16(6): 639 - 646. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]