Lung graft preservation. Comparison of phosphate-buffered sucrose, modified EuroCollins, and University of Wisconsin solutions

Phosphate-buffered sucrose (PBS) has been shown to be highly effective for renal graft storage. It may, therefore, be useful for lung graft storage. Recent studies have suggested a possible role for University of Wisconsin (UW) solution in lung preservation. The object of this study was to evaluate these two solutions in comparison with EuroCollins (EC) solution for lung graft preservation in an isolated rat lung model. Lungs were stored for 6 hr at 4 degrees C after a single pulmonary artery flush with either PBS with prostacyclin (n = 10), EC with prostacyclin (n = 5), or UW (n = 5) solution. Reperfusion of the isolated lung was carried out for 1 hr using a venovenous extracorporeal circulation from a ventilated support rat. The support animals and isolated lungs were ventilated with room air. Control values were obtained from lungs reperfused immediately after harvesting (n = 5). At 1 hr, PBS provided a similar level of protection to EC: pO2, 45 +/- 10 mmHg and 54 +/- 6 mmHg; graft blood flow, 4.1 +/- 1.2 ml/min and 3.5 +/- 0.42 ml/min; peak airway pressure, 32 +/- 2.5 mmHg and 36 +/- 3.6 mmHg; weight gain, 4.1 +/- 0.6 g and 4.2 +/- 0.6 g, respectively (P = NS). However, the UW group provided superior function, which was similar to the control group: pO2, 128 +/- 2.7 mmHg and 126 +/- 5 mmHg; graft blood flow, 9.9 +/- 0.4 ml/min and 10.2 +/- 0.8 ml/min; peak airway pressure, 17.6 +/- 0.4 mmHg and 16.5 +/- 0.6 mmHg; weight gain, 0.12 +/- 0.1 g and 0.19 +/- 0.13 g, respectively (P = NS). UW was superior in all parameters to PBS and EC (P < 0.001). This suggests that the renal solutions PBS and EC are inappropriate for lung graft preservation, and that the requirements of the lung during hypothermic storage differ from those of the kidney.