EFFECTS OF GLUCOSE ON RAT LUNG PRESERVATION - REPORT OF A STUDY CONDUCTED ON AN ISOLATED LUNG REPERFUSION MODEL UTILIZING ANOTHER ISOLATED LUNG AS A DEOXYGENATOR

We describe herein a new experimental model in which an isolated rat l ung was ventilated with a mixture of 95% nitrogen and 5% carbon dioxid e to decrease the oxygen and increase the carbon dioxide in the perfus ed blood to create acid maintain a gas composition similar to that of venous blood. By utilizing this system as a '''deoxygenator,'' pulmona ry functions, including gas exchange, could be measured for at least 6 0 min in isolated and preserved lungs on reperfusion. When the effects of glucose in the Bushing and storage solution were examined, 5 mM gl ucose in the solution resulted in better preservation of the lung, as shown by a higher uptake of oxygen and a lower intratracheal pressure, than when no glucose was given. However, the presence of 50 mM glucos e was not beneficial, but rather increased the wet/dry weight ratio of the tissue.