Lung edema formation during cold perfusion: important differences between rat and porcine lung

Area of Science:

• Organ transplantation
• Cardiovascular and respiratory physiology
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Lung transplantation relies on preservation solutions to maintain organ viability during transport.
• Euro-Collins and Perfadex are widely used preservation solutions in clinical lung transplantation.
• The impact of perfusion pressure on edema formation during cold flush perfusion requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of varying perfusion pressures on edema formation in isolated rat and porcine lungs.
• To compare edema formation using Euro-Collins and Perfadex preservation solutions under different perfusion pressures.

Main Methods:

• Isolated rat and porcine lungs were subjected to cold flush perfusion (4°C–8°C) for 3 minutes.
• Perfusion pressures were set at 10, 15, or 20 mm Hg.
• Continuous weight gain was monitored to quantify edema formation.

Main Results:

• In rat lungs, 10 mm Hg perfusion pressure led to significant edema, with weight gain increasing from 18% to 84% per minute as pressure rose to 20 mm Hg.
• No significant difference in weight gain was observed between Euro-Collins and Perfadex solutions at equal pressures in rats.
• In porcine lungs, perfusion at 10 mm Hg resulted in minimal flow and no weight gain; 15 and 20 mm Hg yielded 1.0% and 2.1% weight gain per minute, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Cold perfusion at 20 mm Hg is associated with minimal edema in porcine lungs.
• Edema formation in rat lungs during cold perfusion is detrimental and independent of the preservation solution used.
• Perfusion pressure significantly influences edema formation, with higher pressures potentially exacerbating edema in certain lung models.