[Experimental study on maintenance of energy metabolism of the preserved liver]

The present studies were designed to achieve a good maintenance of energy metabolism as a means of improving the quality of liver preservation in rats. For this purpose, investigation were made whether initial warm ischemia may affect energy metabolism during preservation and oxygen supply during initial cold flushing process may protect energy metabolism. The following are the results. Compared with non-oxygenated groups, the oxygenated groups during the initial cooling process proved to be effective in, 1) reducing the precipitous fall in the ATP level of the liver during the initial cooling process, 2) maintaining the higher ATP level for 8 hours of hypothermic immersion storage, 3) maintaining energy production for 24 hours in intermittent perfusion storage, 4) obtaining a more rapid recovery of energy production in rewarming and reperfusion after 8 or 16 hours of hypothermic immersion storage, 5) obtaining the higher ATP level by high flow rate of flushing. It may be concluded that maintenance of energy metabolism in the preserved liver is related to the degree of interference with energy metabolism during the initial cold flushing and this interference can be prevented by flushing with the oxygenated perfusate of high flow rate.