Extended lung preservation with the use of hibernation trigger factors.

BACKGROUND

The complications of preserving lungs for transplantation are well known, with successful transplantation only being assured by preservation times of 5 to 6 hours or less. If a new method of consistent lung preservation could be identified, lung transplantation could be extended to many patients. We have previously reported lung preservation times averaging 14.8 hours using a multiorgan autoperfusion block infused with physiologic saline solution as a model. When plasma from deeply hibernating woodchucks (Marmota monax) or the delta opioid DADLE was infused into the multi-organ block, lung preservation times increased threefold to 45 hours.

METHODS

In this study, we examined the effect of infusing plasma containing the hibernation induction trigger molecule on lung preservation for transplantation using a multiorgan autoperfusion block.

RESULTS

This study demonstrated that successful orthotopic transplantation of single canine lungs is possible after 24 to 33 hours of preservation when the lung has been maintained with plasma containing the hibernation induction trigger molecule.

CONCLUSIONS

Theoretically, hibernation induction trigger could be administered to donors before lung harvest in an effort to extend lung preservation times.