Improvement of pulmonary preservation with Celsior and Perfadex: Impact of storage time on early post-ischemic lung function

Abstract

Background Optimal preservation of post-ischemic organ function is a continuing challenge in clinical lung transplantation. Methods Using an established extracorporeal rat lung screening model, the results after preservation of 8 lungs, each with the extracellular-type preservation solutions Celsior and Perfadex using ischemic periods of 2 and 4 hours were compared to the results obtained after 2 hours of preservation with low-potassium Euro-Collins with prostacyclin. Results Oxygenation capacity of all Celsior-preserved organs was significantly higher as compared to LPEC lungs ( p < 0.01), and after 4 hours of ischemia, lung preservation in terms of post-ischemic oxygenation ability was significantly higher in the Celsior group compared with Perfadex-protected organs ( p < 0.01). Conclusion Especially at extended ischemic times Celsior can provide significantly better pulmonary preservation in terms of oxygenation capacity compared to Perfadex solution, which is associated with a post-ischemic lung function only comparable to preservation with modified Euro-Collins solution.