Evaluation of hypothermic heart preservation with University of Wisconsin solution in heterotopically and orthotopically transplanted canine hearts.

In simple cold storage of the heart, 4 hours has been proved to be a clinically safe ischemic time. The University of Wisconsin solution has been reported to extend cold ischemic time in preservation of the liver, kidney, and pancreas. The purpose of this study is to clarify the safe cold ischemic time in heart preservation with University of Wisconsin solution experimentally in heterotopically and orthotopically transplanted canine hearts. In heterotopic heart transplantation, 120 minutes after reperfusion, maximum slope of the left ventricular end-systolic pressure-volume relationship was recovered to 94% +/- 13% in the 4-hour simple cold preservation group with GIK solution and 104% +/- 11% in the 8-hour simple cold preservation group with University of Wisconsin solution but was not recovered in the 8-hour simple cold preservation with GIK solution and 16-hour simple cold preservation with University of Wisconsin solution groups. One hundred twenty minutes after reperfusion, myocardial tissue blood flow measured by laser Doppler flowmeter was recovered to 90% +/- 19% after 4 hours with simple cold preservation with GIK solution and 98% +/- 9% after 8 hours with simple cold preservation with University of Wisconsin solution but was not recovered after 8 hours with simple cold preservation with GIK solution and 16 hours with simple cold preservation with University of Wisconsin solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)