Deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance for evaluating the metabolic status of livers subjected to warm ischemia.
BACKGROUND
The development of reliable methods for assessing the viability of currently available livers is expected to increase the number of successful transplantations.


METHODS
2 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to search for metabolic markers of ischemia in explanted rat livers. Deuterium oxide (2 H2O) was used as a source of 2 H. A total of 10-80% v/v 2 H2O was added to homogenates obtained from a liver biopsy and the formation of 2 H-labeled metabolites was monitored.


RESULTS
Some well-resolved 2 H resonances were found in the homogenates from biopsies of warm ischemic liver. Two of these were identified as [3-2 H] lactate and [2-2 H] lactate, and a linear relationship was found between the ratio of [[2-2 H] lactate] to [[3-2 H] lactate] and the warm ischemia time. The deuterium incorporation into lactate was explained on the basis of the metabolic events occurring under hypoxic conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
The experimental results support the application of 2 H NMR for a reliable evaluation of the metabolic status of a liver harvested from non-heart-beating donors.
Scarpa
M
M
Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Sommarive 14, 38050 Povo-Trento, Italy.
Corazza
A
A
Vianello
F
F
Rigo
A
A
Furian
L
L
Baldan
N
N
Rigotti
P
P
D000818:Animals; D003903:Deuterium; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007511:Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008102:Liver Circulation; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
D019344:Lactic Acid; D003903:Deuterium