title: L-aspartate improves the functional recovery of explanted hearts stored in St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution at 4 degrees C.
abstract: Explanted rat hearts were subjected to cardioplegic arrest by 3 minutes' perfusion with oxygenated St. Thomas' Hospital solution no. 2 and then were stored by immersion in the same solution at 4 degrees C. Prearrest and postischemic left ventricular functions were compared by means of an isolated working heart apparatus. Hearts (n = 8 per group) arrested and stored for up to 8 hours all resumed the spontaneous rhythm of contraction during reperfusion for 30 minutes at 37 degrees C. There was good recovery of aortic flow rate (105% +/- 3%) against a pressure of 100 cm H2O, of heart rate (102% +/- 2%), and of aortic pressure (86% +/- 5% of prearrest values). Hearts stored for 10 and 20 hours showed poor or no postischemic recovery of cardiac pump function (aortic flow, 16% +/- 11% and 0%, respectively). Enrichment of St. Thomas' Hospital solution with L-glutamate (20 mmol/L) also failed to improve functional recovery of hearts subjected to 10 hours of storage, but hearts treated with St. Thomas' Hospital solution containing L-aspartate (20 mmol/L) or L-aspartate plus L-glutamate (20 mmol/L each) reestablished aortic flow rates of 99% +/- 5% and 93% +/- 4%, respectively. These results indicate that the addition of L-aspartate to St. Thomas' Hospital solution improves the functional recovery and extends the safe preservation of explanted hearts stored at 4 degrees C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Auckland School of Medicine, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Choong
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gavin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D017679:Cryotherapy; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced; D006339:Heart Rate; D008274:Magnesium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion / Q000379:methods; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D014021:Tissue Preservation
chemical_list: D001639:Bicarbonates; D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions; C041711:St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D008274:Magnesium; D002122:Calcium Chloride