THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF PROSTACYCLIN ANALOG (OP-2507) ON RAT-LIVER TRANSPLANTATION SUBJECTED TO AN EXTENDED ANHEPATIC PHASE

We investigated the effect of a prostacyclin analogue (OP 2507) on PVG (RT1(c)) recipients subjected to an extended anhepatic phase (AH) and transplanted orthotopically with PVG livers. All of the animals that underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) with a 20-min AH surv ived for 1 week with or without OP 2507 (OP) treatment (10/10, 100 %). When the AH was lengthened to 45 min, the 1-week survival rate of rec ipients was poor in OP-untreated groups (1/10, 10 %). Treatment of the recipient with OP 2507, 0.15 mu g/kg per minute for 30 min, prior to the 45-min AH substantially improved 1-week survival (5/6, 83.3 %, P < 0.05). The serum TNF-alpha level at day 1 in OP-treated animals that underwent OLT with a 45-min AH was significantly lower than that in an imals with 45-min AH OLT without OP treatment. We conclude that OP 250 7 treatment has potential usefulness as a perioperative treatment when the AH is extended during OLT.