KINETICS OF METABOLISM IN HUMAN KIDNEY-TRANSPLANTS MEASURED BY DYNAMIC P-31 NMR-SPECTROSCOPY

The technique of ex vivo P-31 NMR spectroscopy has been used for the i nvestigation of metabolic turnover in 15 cadaveric human kidneys obtai ned from brain-dead donors for transplantation. Measurements were carr ied out at 1.5 T time-dependently during regular hypothermic storage i n histidine-tryptophan-alpha-ketoglutarate solution. The minimum delay between explantation and spectroscopy was 2 h 41 min. In one case of a discarded organ the measurements could be extended over a period of 161 h 35 min. A detailed kinetic model describing monoexponential isch emic phosphate turnover, which accounts for various interrelations of the NMR visible metabolites, has been derived. Averaged velocity const ants of the decays of nucleotides and phosphomono- and -diesters ran e d from 0.0047 to 0.294 h(-1) at approximately 4 degrees C. Intracellul ar pH decreased monoexponentially with an averaged velocity constant o f 0.31 h(-1).