title: Subnormothermic machine perfusion protects steatotic livers against preservation injury: a potential for donor pool increase?
abstract: We tested whether rat liver preservation performed by machine perfusion (MP) at 20 degrees C can enhance the functional integrity of steatotic livers versus simple cold storage. We also compared MP at 20 degrees C with hypothermic MP at 8 degrees C, and 4 degrees C. Obese and lean male Zucker rats were used as liver donors. MP was performed for 6 hours with a glucose and N-acetylcysteine-supplemented Krebs-Henseleit solution. Both MP and cold storage preserved livers were reperfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution (2 hours at 37 degrees C). MP at 4 degrees C and 8 degrees C reduced the fatty liver necrosis compared with cold storage but we further protected the organs using MP at 20 degrees C. Necrosis did not differ in livers from lean animals submitted to the different procedures; the enzymes released in steatotic livers preserved by MP at 20 degrees C were similar to those showed in nonsteatotic organs. The adenosine triphosphate/adenosine diphosphate ratio and bile production were higher and the oxidative stress and biliary enzymes were lower in steatotic livers preserved by MP at 20 degrees C as compared with cold storage. In livers from lean rats, the adenosine triphosphate/adenosine diphosphate ratio appears better conserved by MP at 20 degrees C as compared with cold storage. In steatotic livers preserved by cold storage, a 2-fold increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels and caspase-3 activity was observed as compared with organs preserved by MP at 20 degrees C. These data are substantiated by better morphology, higher glycogen content, and lower reactive oxygen species production by sinusoidal cells in steatotic liver submitted to MP at 20 degrees C versus cold storage. MP at 20 degrees C improves cell survival and leads to a marked improvement in hepatic preservation of steatotic livers as compared with cold storage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. mariapia.vairetti@unipv.it
authors.forename: Mariapia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vairetti
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrigno
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carlucci
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabucchi
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boncompagni
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gringeri
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cillo
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D006003:Glycogen / Q000737:chemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010477:Perfusion; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013696:Temperature; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006003:Glycogen; D005947:Glucose; D000111:Acetylcysteine