MORPHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE PORCINE LIVER DIRECTLY FOLLOWING PRESERVATION WITH EURO-COLLINS, UNIVERSITY-OF-WISCONSIN AND BRETSCHNEIDERS HTK SOLUTION

In order to study perfusion effects of different liver preservation me thods on liver structure, porcine livers were perfused with either Bre tschneider's HTK (Histidine Tryptophane Ketoglutarat) solution. Euro-C ollins (EC) solution or University of Wisconsin solution (UW) accordin g to the respective recommended protocols. Subsequently, together with a group of unprotected livers, all organs were examined by light and electron microscopy including computer assisted morphometry. The width of the space of Disse, the continuity of endothelial cells and the ul trastructure of the hepatocytes were not impaired after cold perfusion with any of the 3 solutions. However, we found considerable differenc es between the groups with respect to removal of blood cells from live r sinusoids. Livers flushed according to the HTK-protocol had the lowe st residual blood cell content followed by the livers of the EC- and t he UW-group. Centrilobular regions of the liver lobules were generally better washed free of blood than periportal zones. Computer assisted morphometry did not reveal any significant difference between the size of hepatocytes of EC-, UW- and HTK livers. Only the hepatocytes of no rmothermic control livers (biopsy samples) were 10% larger than hepato cytes of cold flushed groups. None of the protective perfusion protoco ls showed structural signs of perfusion injury.