[Organ cryopreservation: current status of research carried out in Grenoble]

After discussing the problem of organ cryopreservation and reviewing the current data available on this subject, the Grenoble project is presented. Physical and biological studies have been combined with experimentation of autologous renal transplantation in rabbits to assess the functional value of the retransplanted organ after treatment and cooling. Renal resistances are measured during perfusion of the kidney with the cryoprotective solution. In order to verify the homogeneity of the cryoprotector concentration in the organ, on NMR spectral imaging test has been developed. A new rapid imaging method now allows real time monitoring of concentration variations during perfusion. In addition to concentration and homogeneity, analysis of local spectra also provides information about the local temperature de the kidney.