In vivo lung perfusion for prompt recovery from primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation

Abstract

No proven treatment after the development of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is currently available. Here we established a novel strategy of in vivo lung perfusion (IVLP) for the treatment of PGD. IVLP involves the application of an in vivo isolated perfusion circuit to an implanted lung. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of IVLP versus conventional post-lung transplant (LTx) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment using an experimental swine LTx PGD model. After 1.5-h warm ischemia of the donor lungs, a left LTx was performed. Following the confirmation of PGD development, pigs were divided into three groups (n = 5 each): control (no intervention), ECMO, and IVLP. After 2 h of treatment, a 4-h functional assessment was conducted and samples obtained. Significantly better oxygenation were achieved in the IVLP group (p ≤ 0.001). Recovery was confirmed immediately and maintained during the following 4-h observation. The IVLP group also demonstrated better lung compliance than the control group (p = 0.045). A histological evaluation showed that the lung injury score and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay showed significantly fewer injuries and a better result in the wet-to-dry weight ratio in the IVLP group. A two-hour IVLP is technically feasible and allows for prompt recovery from PGD after LTx. The posttransplant short-duration IVLP strategy can complement or overcome the limitations of the current practice for donor assessment and PGD management.