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Structural and ultrastructural study of the myocardium after 24-hour preservation in University of Wisconsin solution
E. Garcia-Poblete1, H. Fernandez1, L. Alvarez2, A. Torralba3 and C. Escudero2
1Department of Cellular Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid,
Services of 2Experimental Surgery and 3Hospital Pharmacy, Clinica Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain
Offprint requests to: Dr. Eduardo Garcia Poblete, Principe de Vergara nº 275, 2º D, 28016 Madrid, Spain
Summary. This study deals with myocardial preservation
after 24 hours of continuous perfusion with
University of Wisconsin (UW) solution, focusing on the
morphological changes produced by preservation and
reperfusion, and their possible relationship to the
composition of the solution and the immediate hemodynamic
findings after orthotopic heart transplantation in
dogs. Following preservation, the histological images of
the myocardium were normal in almost every case. After
revascularization, although 50% of the hearts recovered
preoperative functional levels, there were relevant
histological changes in all of them. These changes
consisted of interstitial edema, damage to at least 50% of
the mitochondria, presence of contraction bands, loss of
intercellular junction structure and vasoconstriction.
According to these results, the association of continuous
perfusion and UW solution appears to be effective
during the ischemic period of prolonged myocardial
preservation, but not during reperfusion. Perhaps the
proportion of viable hearts could be increased by
preventing vasoconstriction. Histol Histopathol 12, 375-382 (1997)
Key words: Prolonged myocardial preservation,
University of Wisconsin solution, Continuous perfusion,
Reperfusion injury
DOI: 10.14670/HH-12.375
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