Donor lung pretreatment with prostaglandin E-1 does not improve lung graftpreservation

Prostaglandin E-1 (PGE(1)) is widely used to improve early graft function a fter lung transplantation, but some studies have questioned its benefits. T herefore we evaluated the effect of donor pretreatment with PGE(1) in our p orcine model of single lung transplantation. Donors received PGE(1) or plac ebo intravenously before flushing the pulmonary artery with modified Euro-C ollins solution. After cold storage, the excised left lung was transplanted . Ischemic time was 4 h. We used our right side heart bypass model to measu re standardized pulmonary vascular resistance and to study blood flow distr ibution between recipient's native and transplanted lung. Systemic and pulm onary hemodynamics and gas exchange were also measured. After transplantati on, pulmonary vascular resistance was significantly higher in the transplan ted lung, which received only one fourth of the total pulmonary blood flow. PGE(1) pretreatment did not improve pulmonary hemodynamic parameters, or g as exchange.