Normothermic Ex Vivo Liver Machine Perfusion in Mouse

Area of Science:

• Surgical Innovation
• Organ Preservation
• Transplantation Research

Background:

• Ex vivo liver preservation is critical for transplantation and research.
• Current methods face challenges in maintaining organ viability during perfusion.
• Developing optimized perfusion systems is essential for improving outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize an erythrocyte-free normothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (NEVLP) system for ex vivo mouse liver preservation.
• To evaluate the efficacy of the optimized system over a 12-hour perfusion period.
• To identify key technical parameters for successful mouse liver perfusion.

Main Methods:

• Ex vivo preservation of C57BL/6J mouse livers using modified cannulas and perfusion equipment.
• Normothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (NEVLP) for 12 hours.
• Perfusate analysis at 3-hour intervals and histological assessment (Hematoxylin-Eosin staining, modified Suzuki-Score) post-perfusion.

Main Results:

• Mice >30g are suitable due to larger bile ducts (BD).
• 2 Fr polyurethane cannula preferred for portal vein (PV) cannulation over polypropylene.
• 1 Fr polyurethane cannula superior for bile duct (BD) cannulation.
• 12-hour perfusion maintained histological integrity with viable hepatocytes and mild sinusoidal dilation.

Conclusions:

• An optimized erythrocyte-free NEVLP protocol enables successful 12-hour ex vivo mouse liver preservation.
• Specific cannula types (polyurethane) and donor mouse weight are critical for protocol success.
• The optimized system preserves liver morphology, offering a valuable tool for research.