PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF UW SOLUTION ON POSTISCHEMIC INJURY IN RAT-LIVER - SUPPRESSION OF REDUCTION IN HEPATIC ANTIOXIDANTS DURING REPERFUSION

Preservation with University of Wisconsin (UW) solution can maintain l iver graft function and produces survival rates of recipients higher t han that with Euro Collins (EC) solution, To explore the underlying me chanisms, we transplanted rat livers following cold preservation with EC or UW solution for 18 hr, and measured hepatic adenine nucleotide l evels, the percentage of water content, lactate levels, and endogenous antioxidant levels (alpha-tocopherol [alpha-Toc], reduced coenzyme Q( 9) [CoQ(9)H(2)], reduced coenzyme Q(10) [CoQ(10)H(2)] and reduced glut athione [GSH] during preservation and after transplantation, The adeno sine triphosphate levels of the liver grafts preserved with UW solutio n recovered after reperfusion more rapidly and reached a higher level than those preserved with EC solution, UW solution caused a reduction in hepatic water content during preservation, Conversely, EC solution induced remarkable tissue edema, In addition, UW solution reduced the rate of hepatic lactate production both during preservation and after reperfusion, The concentrations of hepatic GSH, alpha-Toc, CoQ(9)H(2), and CoQ(10)H(2) immediately after the graftectomy, and after the 18 h r of preservation with both EC and UW solutions, did not differ from t hose in the normal liver, and decreased only after transplantation. Ho wever, UW solution suppressed significantly the reduction in hepatic G SH, alpha-Toc, and CoQ(9)H(2) after reperfusion, compared with EC solu tion. These results suggest that long-term cold storage induces tissue edema, reflecting a disturbance of the microcirculation during preser vation, followed by parenchymal cell damage mediated by free radicals after reperfusion. The protective effects of UW solution could be attr ibutable to the inhibition of free radical production after reperfusio n.