Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 28, 2025
Establishment of a Novel Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion System for Rat Lungs After Circulatory Death
Published on: October 18, 2024
Use of modified Custodiol-N as perfusion solution in ex vivo lung perfusion
Carolin Olbertz1,2, Nikolaus Pizanis1, Hagen Bäumker1
1Thoracic Transplantation, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, West German Heart Center, University Hospital Essen Essen, Germany.
Objectives:
Ex vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) is a promising tool to increase the donor pool for lung transplantation. Custodiol-N solution was originally designed for organ preservation during cold static preservation (CSP) and was successfully used for machine perfusion in kidneys. It was the aim of this study to compare the lung functional outcomes after 4 hours of EVLP using modified Custodiol-N or STEEN SolutionTM as perfusion solution.
Methods:
In a porcine DCD model, lungs were perfused either with STEEN SolutionTM (Standard SS, n=8) or modified Custodiol-N with added 1.1 g/l glucose monohydrate and 50 g/l dextran 40 (CD, n=8). For a third group 7 g/l albumin was supplemented to modified Custodiol-N (CDA, n=8). During four hours of EVLP pulmonary gas exchange and activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) in perfusate were recorded.
Results:
Lungs that underwent EVLP with modified Custodiol-N showed significantly higher oxygen capacity (ΔpO2 averaged over four hours of EVLP: SS: 236.28 ± 47.26 mmHg, CD: 402.79 ± 30.33 mmHg, CDA: 414.86 ± 9.77 mmHg) than lungs perfused with STEEN SolutionTM. The addition of albumin did not have a significant effect on lung function but these lungs showed lower wet/dry ratio.
Conclusion:
In a porcine DCD model of 9 hours CSP followed by four hours of EVLP the use of modified Custodiol-N as perfusion solution was feasible and associated with higher oxygen capacity than STEEN SolutionTM. The addition of albumin seems to further stabilize lung function.
