RNA Sequencing Reveals the Suitability of Cardiac Death Livers for Transplantation.

Xinguo Chen,Jing Guo,Zhongyang Shen,Fengdong Wu,Xuyi Zhang,Yuwen Hao,Li Cao,Yi Wang,Sha Mao,Yang Yue,Qing Zhang,Letian Wang

doi:10.1155/2018/8217486

Abstract

Background Organ transplantation is considered the best treatment for end-stage organ failure. However, the lack of available organs for transplantation and the increasing number of patients waiting for transplants are primary issues facing the transplant community. Thus, developing strategies to increase the number of donors, especially for liver transplantation, has become a priority. The use of organs acquired from donors who suffered cardiac related deaths has increased the pool of potential liver donors. However, donation after cardiac death (DCD) livers increases the risk of primary graft dysfunction. Methods In the current study, we conducted transcriptome sequencing using livers from a DCD rat to assess the short-term feasibility and functional efficacy of DCD livers. RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data showed that the liver transcriptome varied greatly in rat livers subjected to 15 minutes of cardiac arrest. Results The livers used in the current study had a significant loss of normal function before transplantation. Functional and network analyses consistently indicated that transcription and translation processes were inhibited after approximately 15 minutes of cardiac arrest. Moreover, the transcriptomic sequencing data provides significant insight for identifying functional genes and testing additional biological questions in DCD liver transplantation in future studies.

Highlights

The liver is a vital organ involved in many physiological and biochemical processes [1]
Our study provides a complete picture of the transcriptome variation in donation after cardiac death (DCD) liver samples, which will be helpful in filling the gap between theoretical and applicable knowledge of DCD livers used for transplantation
hierarchal cluster analysis (HCA) results confirmed that the gene expression profiles, as well as the pattern of these profiles, were similar within each DCD group (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

The liver is a vital organ involved in many physiological and biochemical processes [1]. Considering the shortage of organs for donation, transplantation of livers from cardiac death donors (DCD) offers doctors and patients a potential way to meet the growing demand for liver transplantation [2]. Previous studies have reported that transplantation of livers obtained from prolonged DCD results in inferior outcomes compared to transplantation of livers donated immediately after deaths that are attributed to loss of brain function [3]. These inferior results are associated with high rates of biliary complications, as well as increased. The transcriptomic sequencing data provides significant insight for identifying functional genes and testing additional biological questions in DCD liver transplantation in future studies

Methods

Results

Conclusion