Background. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of partial
liquid ventilation (PLV) on acute allograft dysfunction after lung transpla
ntation.
Methods. The canine left lung allotransplantation model was used, with the
graft preserved in 4 degrees C lowpotassium dextran glucose solution for 18
hours. The control group (n = 6) had conventional mechanical ventilation,
and the PLV group (n = 6) had perfluorooctylbromide instilled into the airw
ay 30 minutes after reperfusion. For 360 minutes, allograft function and he
modynamics were evaluated. After the evaluation, myeloperoxidase activity o
f the graft tissue was assayed.
Results. All dogs survived for 360 minutes. In the PT,V group, Pao, shunt f
raction, and alveolar to arterial gradient for O-2, were si,significantly b
etter than those in the control group after 120, 180, and 120 minutes, resp
ectively (p < 0.05). After 240 minutes, peak airway pressure became signifi
cantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05). The Pao, at 360 min
utes was 102 +/- 55 mm Hg in the control group and 420 +/- 78 mm Hg in the
PLV group (p < 0.0001), and the peak airway pressure was 21.4 +/- 4.1 mm Hg
in the control group and 14.7 +/- 5.0 mm Hg in the PLV group (p < 0.05). M
yeloperoxidase activity in the PLV group was lower than that in the control
group.
Conclusions. The study shows that PLV alleviated acute allograft dysfunctio
n after lung transplantation. (C) 1999 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.