[Auto-perfused multi-organ preparations. III. Interpretation of histologic changes in perfused organs]

The functional instability of "multi-organ" preparations has been studied by morphological and histochemical assessment of 46 autoperfused heart-lung-kidney-liver-duodenopancreas preparations. The organs of the autoperfused preparations were damaged to different degrees, but the damage was always a function of perfusion time (1 to 3 hours). The liver suffered the most serious lesions (stagnation, oedema, hepatocytolysis, hydropic degeneration) but lesions such as interstitial haemorrhage and oedema though in a milder form appeared also in the kidney. The heart structure was comparatively well preserved.