Perfusion preservation of hearts for 6 to 9 days at room temperature

The combination of a defined medium with single-pass perfusion has made possible long-term maintenance of beating rat hearts at 22 degrees C in vitro. The 6- to 9-day survival period appears to be the longest so far reported for hearts. This method provides a stable system which should be useful for investigating the role of single factors in myocardial preservation and evaluating the effects of exposure to pharmacological and toxicological agents.