POTENTIAL OF P-31 MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY IN MONITORING THE VIABILITY OF HUMAN RENAL GRAFTS STORED IN EURO-COLLINS PERFUSION SOLUTION

The relative concentrations of inorganic phosphate and phosphomonoeste rs (PME) of 18 human cadaveric kidneys stored in Euro-Collins perfusio n solution were measured by P-31 MR spectroscopy. The signals of intra cellular inorganic phosphate (P-ii) and inorganic phosphate contained in the perfusion solution (P-ie) were separated by the deconvolution t echnique. The ratio of the signal intensities of phosphomonoesters and intracellular inorganic phosphate (P-ME/P-ii) was used as a marker of kidney viability and correlated with kidney function after transplant ation. Separation of the P-ii and P-ie signals in the measured spectra was successful in 72% of kidneys. The results of MR analysis satisfac torily agree in 78% with the post-transplant function of kidneys.