Modified Langendorff Perfusion Method for Extended Perfusion Times of Rodent Cardiac Grafts

Despite important advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the field is in urgent need of increased research and scientific advancement. As a result, innovation, improvement and/or repurposing of the available research toolset can provide improved testbeds for research advancement. Langendorff perfusion is an extremely valuable research technique for the field of CVD research that can be modified to accommodate a wide array of experimental needs. This tailoring can be achieved by personalizing a large number of perfusion parameters, including perfusion pressure, flow, perfusate, temperature, etc. This protocol demonstrates the versatility of Langendorff perfusion and the feasibility of achieving longer perfusion times (4 h) without graft function loss by utilizing lower perfusion pressures (30-35 mmHg). Achieving extended perfusion times without graft damage and/or function loss caused by the technique itself has the potential to eliminate confounding elements from experimental results. In effect, in scientific circumstances where longer perfusion times are relevant to the experimental needs (i.e., drug treatments, immunological response analysis, gene editing, graft preservation, etc.), lower perfusion pressures can be key for scientific success.