Prevention of ischemia-reperfusion lung injury during static cold preservation by supplementation of standard preservation solution with HEMOlife in pig lung transplantation model.

We describe the results of adding a new biological agent HEMOlife to a standard preservation solution for hypothermic static lung preservation aiming to improve early functional parameters after lung transplantation. HEMOlife is a natural oxygen carrier extracted from Arenicola marina with high oxygen affinity developed as an additive to standard organ preservation solutions. Standard preservation solution (Perfadex) was compared with Perfadex associated with HEMOlife and with sham animals after 24 h of hypothermic preservation followed by lung transplantation. During five hours of lung reperfusion, functional parameters and biomarkers expression in serum and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured. After five hours of reperfusion, HEMOlife group led to significant improvement in functional parameters: reduction of graft vascular resistance (p < .05) and increase in graft oxygenation ratio (p < .05). Several ischemia-reperfusion related biomarkers showed positive trends in the HEMOlife group: expression of HMG B1 in serum tended to be lower in comparison (2.1 ± 0.8 vs. 4.6 ± 1.5) with Perfadex group, TNF-α and IL-8 in BALF were significantly higher in the two experimental groups compared to control (p < .05). During cold ischemia, expression of HIF1α and histology remained unchanged and similar to control. Supplementation of the Perfadex solution by an innovative oxygen carrier HEMOlife during hypothermic static preservation improves early graft function after prolonged cold ischemia in lung transplantation.