Prediction of graft viability from non-heart-beating donor pigs using hepatic microdialysate hypoxanthine levels.
BACKGROUND
Non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) are not yet acceptable in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTX) because of the high frequency of primary graft nonfunction. In this study, we aimed to develop a new predictive method of graft viability in OLTX from NHBDs.


METHODS
(1) Pigs were subjected to 15 min of hepatic ischemia and reperfusion (I/R). (2) Porcine OLTX was performed using grafts obtained from NHBDs subjected to in situ warm ischemia (0, 30, and 60 min). During both operations, hepatic hypoxanthine levels were measured by a microdialysis method.


RESULTS
In the I/R model, hypoxanthine accumulated during ischemia and decreased after reperfusion, whereas marked xanthine and uric acid production were observed after reperfusion. In the NHBDs model, all of the 0-min group, 6 of 13 pigs in the 30-min group, and 1 of 6 pigs in the 60-min group survived more than 7 days. Significant increases of hypoxanthine levels were seen dependent on warm ischemic time. In the 30-min group, hypoxanthine levels were significantly higher in the pigs that died than in those that survived, and correlated with aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and adenosine triphosphate levels of recipients. Histological examination revealed that graft injury was severe in the pigs with higher hypoxanthine levels.


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that hepatic microdialysate hypoxanthine levels during warm ischemia in NHBDs were correlated with graft viability in the recipient. By using of this technique, prediction of the graft viability may be possible during donor operation.
Nagayama
Minoru
M
First Department of Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan. mnagayam@sapmed.ac.jp
Katsuramaki
Tadashi
T
Kimura
Hitoshi
H
Isobe
Masato
M
Meguro
Makoto
M
Matsuno
Takashi
T
Nui
Akihiro
A
Hirata
Koichi
K
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D019271:Hypoxanthine / Q000032:analysis*; D007511:Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D017551:Microdialysis; D015424:Reperfusion; D013552:Swine
D019271:Hypoxanthine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase