Hypothermic preservation of the rat pancreas

Abstract

A number of papers report varying degrees of success in short-term preservation of the pancreas: techniques studied include hypothermia after initial perfusion, continuous hypothermic perfusion, hypothermia combined with hyperbaric oxygen and cryopreservation. The simplest approach, initial perfusion followed by storage at 0-4 °C, has proved effective for 24 h using a ‘protide gel’ solution1, fructose-bicarbonate solution2, modified cryoprecipitated plasma3, Collins’ C3 solution4 or Sacks’ solution5. The only report of effective 48 h preservation used a preliminary perfusiqn with plasma supplemented by potassium, glucose and albumin to produce a total osmolality of 450mosmol/kg5. Similarly, continuous perfusion using cryoprecipitated plasma4,6,7 or purified human albumin solution2 has been effective for 24 h storage, some investigators stressing the need for a low perfusion pressure7,8 and the inclusion of methylprednisolone9. However, direct comparisons of initial perfusion with continuous perfusion have failed to show any benefit from the more complex continuous perfusion method2–4. The use of hyperbaric oxygen likewise confers no apparent advantage10, and cryopreservation of the whole pancreas is clearly inferior11. Thus, the available evidence suggests that the simplest approach, that of initial perfusion with a chilled solution, followed by storage at 0–4 °C gives results at 24 h that are as good as any more complicated method.