Hepatic xanthine levels as viability predictor of livers procured from non-heart-beating donor pigs

Background The aim of the present study was to evaluate hepatic content of adenine nucleotides and their degradation products in non-heart-beating don or (NHBD) pigs and its relationship with recipient survival, Methods. Thirty animals were transplanted with an allograft, from NHBDs. Af ter warm ischemia (WI) time (20, 30, or 40 min), cardiopulmonary bypass and normothermic recirculation (NR) were run for 30 min. Afterward, the animal s were cooled to 15 degreesC and liver procurement was performed. Results, Survival rate was 100% in the 20WI, 70% in the 30WI, and 50% in th e 40WI, Livers from non-surviving animals had higher levels of xanthine aft er NR than Livers from surviving animals. Logistic regression analysis reve aled that xanthine at the end of NR was the only variable able to predict s urvival with a calculated sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 60%. Prol ongation of warm ischemic period leaded to a greater xanthine accumulation as well as increased plasma cu-glutathione S-transferase levels at reperfus ion. Xanthine at NR and alpha -glutathione S-transferase at reperfusion sig nificantly correlated, indicating that donor xanthine contributes to some e xtent to the severity of the lesion by ischemia-reperfusion. Conclusions, It is suggested that xanthine content in the donor is able to predict survival after transplantation. Xanthine is significantly involved in the hepatic lesion elicited by warm ischemia and subsequent ischemia-rep erfusion associated to liver transplantation from a NHBD.