INACTIVATION OF KUPFFER CELLS AFTER PROLONGED DONOR FASTING IMPROVES VIABILITY OF TRANSPLANTED HEPATIC ALLOGRAFTS

Data from recent studies suggest that donor fasting imparts a benefici al effect on the viability of transplanted hepatic allografts. Because starvation may temporarily inactivate Kupffer cells, and because thes e cells are the likely mediators of liver injury after prolonged prese rvation-reperfusion, the purpose of this study is to establish a link between improved organ viability and Kupffer cell inactivation caused by donor allograft fasting. In an in vivo rat liver transplant model, 48 hours of donor fasting (1) improved allograft viability, (2) signif icantly decreased Kupffer cell phagocytosis, and (3) significantly dec reased cytokine (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]) production postrevascula rization. These data validate work from previous studies demonstrating that donor fasting improves allograft viability and furthermore suppo rt our previous research implicating activation of Kupffer cells as a causative agent of cold ischemia-preservation injury.