HIGH-NA-K+ UW COLD-STORAGE SOLUTION REDUCES REPERFUSION INJURIES OF THE RAT-LIVER GRAFT( LOW)

The isolated perfused rat liver model was used to assess graft viabili ty after 24 h of cold preservation. Two solutions were compared for li ver preservation: Belzer's original UW solution (high-K+ UW) and a sol ution containing the same components but with inverted concentrations of sodium and potassium (high-Na+ UW). During the 120 min of normother mic reperfusion, livers preserved in the high-Na+ UW solution released lower levels of creatine kinase-BB isoenzyme, transaminases (ALT and AST), and potassium than those preserved in the high-K+ UW solution. B ile flow and biliary excretion of indocyanine green increased when liv ers were preserved in the high-Na+ UW solution. We found no statistica l differences for oxygen consumption and tissue ATP concentration. The results of this study support the concept that a high-Na+ UW solution is a more effective means of preserving rat livers, at least after 24 h of cold-storage and 120 min of reperfusion in the isolated perfused model, than the original high-K+ UW solution, Liver preservation in t he high-Na+ UW solution reduces damage to sinusoidal endothelial and h epatocellular cells. The use of an extracellular-like Belzer cold stor age solution eliminates potassium-related problems in cold preservatio n and subsequent normothermic reperfusion while keeping all the qualit ies of the original UW solution.