New solution for prolonged myocardial preservation for transplantation

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Organ Preservation
• Transplantation Medicine

Background:

• A novel intracellular cardioplegic solution, the Jerusalem-Cape Town Solution (JCT), has been developed for prolonged heart storage.
• JCT is formulated to mitigate hypothermic cell swelling, intracellular acidosis, and reperfusion injury while providing substrates for energy regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the JCT solution in preserving rat hearts during extended cold storage.
• To compare JCT's performance against established cardioplegic solutions like Bretschneider's HTK and the University of Wisconsin solution.

Main Methods:

• Rat hearts were preserved using a Langendorff model, undergoing 20 hours of cold storage (5-6°C) after cardioplegic infusion.
• Hearts were divided into three groups, receiving JCT, HTK, or University of Wisconsin solution, followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion.
• Hemodynamic recovery, including coronary artery flow and left ventricular developed pressure, was assessed.

Main Results:

• JCT demonstrated significantly better recovery of coronary artery flow and left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) compared to HTK after 20 hours of storage.
• Heart contractility, measured by LVDP x heart rate, was significantly higher with JCT than with HTK or UW solution at 20 hours.
• No significant difference in contractility recovery was observed between JCT and HTK for storage durations up to 12 hours.

Conclusions:

• The JCT solution is effective for preserving ischemic hearts for up to 12 hours, comparable to HTK.
• JCT exhibits superior performance over HTK and University of Wisconsin solutions for 20-hour isolated ischemic heart storage.