X-Message-Number: 12391
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1999 09:03:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: role of saccharides on lung preservation

Transplantation 1999 Jul 15;68(1):110-7

Role of saccharides on lung preservation.

BACKGROUND: Saccharides are considered to play a rile as osmotic 
impermeants and serve as an energy source for the organ during ischemia.
However, previous studies on the effectiveness of saccharides on organ
preservation have yielded conflicting results. We compared the
preservative effects of a monosaccharide (glucose), disaccharides
(trehalose, maltose, sucrose), and a trisaccharide (raffinose) to
investigate whether the effects of saccharides on lung preservation 
depend on their molecular weight, energy-level maintenance, and
cytoprotective effects.
METHODS: We used an ex vivo rat lung model using homolgous blood as 
the perfusate. In the fresh group, the lungs were reperfused immediately
after flush. In the other groups, the lungs were flushed with one of the
solutions containing glucse, trehalose, maltose, sucrose, or raffinose and
preserved for 14 hours.
RESULTS: The results of the trehalose group were comparable to those 
of the fresh group. The glucose, maltose, and raffinose groups showed
significantly higher levels of shunt fraction, pulmonary artery pressure,
and peak inspiratory pressure compared with the fresh and trehalose
groups. There were no differences among the groups in the levels of total
adenine nucleotides, adenosine triphosphate of the lung after flush, and
preservation. However, after reperfusion, levels of total adenine
nucleotides became significantly lower in the glucose, sucrose, maltose,
and raffinose groups. Ultrastructural examination revealed endothelial
cell inury in the glucose, sucrose, maltose, and raffinose groups.
CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the effects of saccharides may 
depend on their cytoprotective effect rather than on impermeant activity
or energy-level maintenance of the preserved lung. Trehalose proved to be
superior to the other saccharides.

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