Ultrastructural changes in the rat liver during Euro-Collins storage, compared with hypothermic in vitro ischemia

The ultrastructural alterations in liver tissue induced by in vitro ischemia at 4 degrees C under conditions commonly used for transplantation (Euro-Collins perfused and stored liver tissue) have been compared with changes due to hypothermic in vitro ischemia in non-perfused liver. It was found that the process of cell deterioration in non-perfused liver occurred very slowly; signs of irreversible damage appeared in sinusoidal lining cells before hepatocytes (after 24 and 96 h, respectively). Liver perfused with, and stored in Euro-Collins solution showed acceleration of the ischemical damage in both types of cell (irreversible damage to sinusoidal lining cells after 12 h and to hepatocytes after 52 h), compared with non-perfused liver. These findings indicate that the safe period for storage of rat liver in Euro-Collins before damage to the microcirculatory system is less than 12 h. It might also be questioned whether Euro-Collins treatment is the optimal procedure for tissue preservation before liver transplantation.