[Myocardial protection during transplantation procedure following cold storage in Collins' solution].

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the myocardial protective effects of two types of solution during heart transplantation procedure following cold storage in Collins' solution. Based on the concept whether the ischemic time during the procedure is an extension of heart storage or is an usual aortic cross-clamped ischemic time, we compared the effects of our cardioplegic solution (Group I) and Collins' solution (Group II) using isolated working rat heart model. After 30 minutes of global ischemia at 25 degrees C following 2 hours of cold storage, the hearts in Group I exhibited better functional recovery than those in Group II (% recovery of cardiac output was 61.1 +/- 5.4% in Group I and 42.4 +/- 7.4% in Group II, p less than 0.01). In Group II, marked elevation of coronary vascular resistance occurred on reperfusion. CPK release during reperfusion period was greater in Group II (0.41 +/- 0.24 IU/15 min/heart in Group I, 1.92 +/- 1.25 IU/15 min/heart in Group II, p less than 0.01). Myocardial metabolites contents (ATP, TAN, creatine phosphate and lactate) and energy charge were not significantly different between two groups. We conclude that it is harmful to ischemic myocardium to use Collins' solution as myocardial protection during transplantation procedure even if following cold storage in Collins' solution.