AN AUTOMATED AND PORTABLE LOW-FLOW PULSATILE PERFUSION SYSTEM FOR ORGAN PRESERVATION

While machine preservation reduces the incidence of delayed graft func tion in renal transplant recipients, it is only used in 10 % of kidney transplantations. The performance of our portable, low-flow-pulsatile organ perfusion system was examined in a canine kidney autotransplant ation model. Grafts were stored for 72 h by simple cold preservation i n University of Wisconsin (UW) solution, or by high or low-flow machin e preservation. After preservation, the grafts were autotransplanted a nd the animals were followed for 15 days. Graft function was better in machine-preserved kidneys. Tissue biochemistry indicated that machine preservation resulted in higher levels of adenine nucleotides and bet ter histological integrity than the cold storage. While histology and biochemistry of machine-preserved groups were similar, electromicrosco py of high-flow grafts showed mild accumulation of intravenous debris and endothelial swelling. This study shows that a simplified machine p erfusion technique is effective for organ preservation.