[Swine liver ultrastructure following hypothermia and hyperbaric oxygenation preservation]

The livers of 20 pigs were preserved for up to 16 hours, applying hypothermia (4 degrees C) and hyperbaric oxygenation (3 ata). As a preparation solvent we used in one group the solution by Lie (17) which is rich in potassium and glucose, and in the other group the cryoprecipitated serum by Belzer (5). After 8 and 16 hours of preservation, the fine structure was examined light- and electronmicroscopically. After 8 hours of preservation, there were only little reversible changes in both groups. After 16 hours, both groups showed distinct changes of the endoplasmatic reticulum e. g. desorganisation, vesicular dilatation, and dissociation of the mural ribosomes. In addition, there were swellings of mitochondriae and Kupffer's cells. These changes were particularly distinct after preservation in cryoprecipitated serum. In this group a cellular depletion of glucogen was noticeable.