CARDIAC STORAGE WITH UW SOLUTION AND GLUCOSE

Previous investigations from our institution using an isolated human c ardiomyocyte model concluded that glucose supplementation of Universit y of Wisconsin solution (UWS) was beneficial with respect to adenine n ucleotide and protein recovery. We wished to confirm these results usi ng an isolated heart model. Rodent hearts were frozen in liquid nitrog en (control) or flushed and stored in UWS for 8 hours at 0 degrees C o r UWS supplemented with 10, 20, or 30 mmol/L glucose. Experimental hea rts were assessed at end-storage or after 45 minutes of reperfusion on a Langendorff apparatus. Adenine nucleotides were assessed by high pe rformance liquid chromatography. In parallel experiments, ventricular function was assessed before and after storage in Langendorff-perfused hearts instrumented with a left ventricular balloon. Glucose suppleme ntation was associated with greater poststorage (20 and 30 mmol/L gluc ose) and postreperfusion (10, 20, and 30 mmol/L glucose) adenosine tri phosphate levels than unmodified UWS. Developed pressure (expressed as a percentage of control values) was increased with 10 mmol\L glucose (75.2% +/- 7.9%, mean +/- standard deviation) compared with unmodified UWS (64.6% +/- 6.6%; p < 0.05). Coronary now was greater with 10 (72. 6% +/- 10.7%) or 20 mmol/L (71.2% +/- 12.5%) versus 0 mmol/L glucose ( 58.6% +/- 12.1%, p < 0.05). The data support previous in vitro finding s and suggest that the addition of 10 mmol/L glucose to UWS is associa ted with enhanced recovery after prolonged hypothermic storage.