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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
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A Rat Lung Transplantation Model of Warm Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: Optimizations to Improve Outcomes
Published on: October 28, 2021
Nitric oxide ventilation of rat lungs from non-heart-beating donors improves posttransplant function
Summary
Ventilating non-heart-beating donor (NHBD) rat lungs with nitric oxide (NO) during ex vivo perfusion reduced injury and improved lung function posttransplant. This NO treatment enhances the viability of lungs from NHBDs for transplantation.
Area of Science:
- Transplantation immunology
- Respiratory physiology
- Organ preservation
Background:
- Expanding the donor lung pool is critical for lung transplantation.
- Non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) offer a potential source of lungs.
- Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) allows assessment and treatment of donor lungs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effects of nitric oxide (NO) ventilation on NHBD rat lungs during ex vivo perfusion and after transplantation.
- To assess the impact of NO on ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and lung function.
Main Methods:
- Rat lungs from NHBDs were ventilated with either oxygen or oxygen/NO for 1 hour postmortem.
- Lungs underwent cold storage, EVLP, and subsequent transplantation.
- Evaluated lung function, injury markers, and molecular signaling pathways.
Main Results:
- NO-ventilation significantly reduced lung wet:dry weight ratio and improved oxygenation during EVLP.
- Pulmonary vascular resistance was reduced, and cGMP levels increased with NO treatment.
- NO ventilation maintained endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and reduced TNF-alpha and iNOS expression.
Conclusions:
- Nitric oxide ventilation during ex vivo perfusion improves the quality and function of NHBD rat lungs.
- NO treatment mitigates ischemia-reperfusion injury and enhances post-transplant lung viability.
- This strategy holds promise for increasing the utilization of NHBD lungs in transplantation.
