Effect of drug treatment on liver-slice function following 72-hour hypothermic perfusion

The viability of hypothermically perfused dog liver was evaluated with a tissue-slice technique. After being preserved for 72 hr, slices of liver were incubated at 30 degrees C for as long as 2 hr; then water content, K+/Na+ ratio, and ATP concentration were measured. Dog livers were assigned to the following experimental groups: Group 1 (no preservation; control); Group 2 (livers preserved for 72 hr); Group 3 (donor animals pretreated with 3.5 mg/kg of chlorpromazine (CPZ) and 20 mg/kg of methylprednisolone (MP), and livers preserved for 72 hr); Group 4 (livers pretreated with 2-deoxycoformycin (2-DOC), 50 mg/liter, and preserved for 72 hr); and Group 5 (combination of Group 3 and Group 4 treatments). Livers in Groups 2, 3, and 4 lost K+ during preservation, and the mean K+/Na+ ratio significantly decreased from a control value of 4.2 +/- 0.4 to 1.5-1.9 (P less than 0.05). Group 5 livers did not lose K+; mean K+/Na+ ratio was 3.9 +/- 0.5. Fresh livers (no preservation) rapidly reaccumulated K+ when the tissue slices were incubated for 2 hr at 30 degrees C; mean K+/Na+ ratio was 3.7 +/- 0.5. Tissue slices from Group 2 livers (72 hr preservation), and livers pretreated with CPZ-MP (Group 3) or pretreated with 2-DOC (Group 4) did not significantly reaccumulate K+ at 30 degrees C; mean K+/Na+ ratio was 1.7-2.1. Only slices prepared from liver pretreated with both CPZ-MP and 2-DOC reaccumulated K+; mean K+/Na+ ratio was 4.6 +/- 1.2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of short-term hypothermic perfusion and cold storage on function of the isolated-perfused dog kidney

The isolated-perfused dog kidney was used as a model to measure the effects of short-term hypothermic preservation on renal function and metabolism. Kidneys were cold-stored in Collins' solution, hypotonic citrate, or phosphate-buffered sucrose for 4 and 24 hr, or were continuously perfused for 4 and 24 hr with a synthetic perfusate. Following preservation kidneys were perfused with an albumin-containing perfusate at 37 degrees C for 60 min for determination of renal function. The results indicate that many of the effects of short-term preservation on renal function in dog kidneys are similar to results reported for rat and rabbit kidneys. Cold storage for 4 hr resulted in a large decrease in GFR (57%), but only a small decrease in Na reabsorption (from 97 to 87%). Cold storage for 24 hr caused a further decline in renal function (GFR = 95% decrease, Na reabsorption = 49-64%). Results were similar for all cold storage solutions tested. Perfusion for 4 hr was less damaging to renal function than cold storage. The GFR decreased only 14% and urine formation and Na reabsorption were practically normal. After 24 hr of hypothermic perfusion, the GFR was reduced by 79%, urine flow was normal, and Na reabsorption was 78%. There were no obvious biochemical correlates (adenine nucleotides, tissue edema, or electrolyte concentration) with the loss of renal function during short-term preservation. The results suggest that the isolated-perfused dog kidney can be used to test the effects of preservation on renal function, and yields results similar to those obtained using small animal models.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Preservation of renal function by adenosine-stimulated ATP synthesis in hypothermically perfused dog kidneys

Dog kidneys were hypothermically perfused for 1 to 5 days in the presence or absence of adenosine (5 mM). Following 1, 3, and 5 days, kidneys were reperfused at normothermia in an isolated perfusion system using a bovine serum albumin containing perfusate and renal function was determined. At the end of normothermic perfusion, kidney cortical slices were removed for biochemical analysis. Kidneys preserved in the presence of adenosine generated much higher concentrations of ATP during normothermic perfusion than kidneys preserved in the absence of adenosine at all time periods studied. In kidneys reperfused (37 degrees C) after 3 days of preservation, the ATP concentration averaged 9.15 mumol/g dry wt (+adenosine) vs. 4.75 mumol/g dry wt (-adenosine). After 5 days, the average was 12.65 mumol/g dry wt (+adenosine) vs. 4.00 mumol/g dry wt (-adenosine). The tissue concentration of K+ was higher in kidneys perfused in the presence of adenosine for all time periods studied. The presence of adenosine had little effect on the GFR (creatinine clearance) which was reduced by about 90% from control values at both 3 and 5 days of preservation. The primary effect of adenosine on renal function was a greater preservation of the capability of the isolated perfused kidney to reabsorb Na+ from the glomerular filtrate. In the absence of adenosine Na+ reabsorption was reduced from 97 to 50% whereas in the presence of adenosine was reduced to only 80% after 3 days of preservation. After 5 days of perfusion Na+ reabsorption was unaffected by the presence of adenosine and the amount resorbed was only 25-30% of the amount filtered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Hamster placental lactogen-II contains a structural feature unique among the growth hormone-prolactin-placental lactogen family

Sequence analysis of cDNA for hamster placental lactogen-II (PL-II) revealed that while this protein has a high degree of sequence homology to mouse and rat PL-II it contains a pair of cysteine residues not present in the mouse and rat proteins or in any other known member of the GH-PRL-PL protein family. This unique pair of cysteine residues may be responsible for the extreme tendency of hamster PL-II, compared to other members of the GH-PRL-PL family, to form disulfide-bonded hormone-serum protein complexes.     

Lysosomal enzyme release in hypothermically perfused dog kidneys

This study investigated lysosomal disruption during hypothermic perfusion preservation of kidneys and its possible relationship to viability. The percentage of free and bound enzyme activity was analyzed for three lysosomal enzymes in homogenates made from perfused canine kidney cortex tissue, including beta-glucuronidase, cathepsin-D, and aryl sulfatase. All three enzymes displayed characteristic increases in free enzyme activity (47-68%) throughout 5 days of perfusion preservation. The increased activity obtained at 5 days of preservation was found to indicate "severe" tissue damage, as shown by a similar increase obtained in renal cortex tissue exposed to warm ischemia (37 degrees C) for 4 hr or longer. Aryl sulfatase was found to be the most sensitive indicator of severe damage. Pretreatment of kidney donors with methylprednisolone, a lysosomal stabilizer, was also studied in kidneys exposed to 5 days of perfusion. Pretreatment was found to reduce the percentage of free lysosomal enzyme activity following 5 days (nonviable) of perfusion to those levels normally obtained following 3-day (viable) perfusion. This indicates that methylprednisolone may be useful in modulating the severe disruption of lysosomes induced by long-term preservation. It is concluded that extensive disruption of lysosomes occurs during hypothermic perfusion preservation and may represent one cause for loss of organ viability.     

Purification and partial characterization of prolactin from the California ground squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi)

Prolactin (Prl) secreted by cultured ground squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi) pituitaries (SbPrl) was purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and ion-exchange chromatography on Polybuffer Exchanger 94. Purification from culture medium from 190 pituitaries yielded 1.1 mg of purified SbPrl. The SbPrl has an apparent molecular weight of 27,000 by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, an isoelectric point of 6.3, and does not contain any asparagine-linked carbohydrate. Purified SbPrl displaces 125I-labeled ovine Prl from binding sites on lactating rabbit mammary gland membranes and stimulates secretion of alpha-lactalbumin by cultured mouse mammary gland epithelial cells.     

Comparison of the effects of adenine-ribose with adenosine for maintenance of ATP concentrations in 5-day hypothermically perfused dog kidneys

The quality of preservation of kidneys is dependent upon a number of factors, one of which may be the concentration of adenine nucleotides in the tissue during long-term perfusion preservation. In this study we have investigated how adenine (5 mM) and ribose (5 mM) in combination affect the concentration of adenine nucleotides in dog kidney cortical tissue after 5 days of continuous hypothermic perfusion preservation. These results were compared to kidneys perfused with adenosine and without any added purine precursors of adenine nucleotide synthesis. Additionally, we investigated how these conditions affected renal tissue slice function after 5 days of preservation and how adenine plus ribose affected renal function after autotransplantation in the dog. Adenosine is nearly completely degraded during 5 days of perfusion but there was little loss of adenine (10%). The adenosine triphosphate concentration in kidney cortical tissue was higher in adenine/ribose-perfused kidneys (1.41 +/- 0.19 mumol/g) than in adenosine-perfused kidneys (0.71 +/- 0.1 mumol/g) after 5 days of preservation. Tissue slices prepared from kidneys preserved in the presence of adenine plus ribose were metabolically more functional (slice volume control and electrolyte pump activity) than slices from adenosine-perfused kidneys. Adenine plus ribose had no detrimental effects on kidneys preserved for 3 days as tested in the autotransplant model but did not yield successful 5-day preservation. Because of some potentially detrimental factors in using adenosine as an adenine nucleotide synthesis precursor, we have now switched to the combination of adenine and ribose for perfusion preservation of kidneys both in the laboratory and in the clinic.     

A comparison of cold storage solutions for hepatic preservation using the isolated perfused rabbit liver

Rabbit livers were stored cold for periods of 6 or 24 hr and tested using the isolated perfused liver model. Five solutions were tested: Eurocollins (EC), Ross and Marshall's hypertonic citrate (HC), modified plasma protein fraction (Cambridge PPF), Ringer lactate, and the recently developed "University of Wisconsin" (UW) solution. After storage livers were perfused with an erythrocyte-free oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit solution containing 4% bovine serum albumin at 38 degrees C for 2 hr. Bile production proved to be the most sensitive index of liver function for discriminating between the various storage solutions and the different preservation times. After 6 hr of cold storage, bile production was similar to control liver bile production (9.8 +/- 2.4 ml/2 hr/100 g) in livers stored in HC (8.8 +/- 2 ml), PPF (9.9 +/- 2.2 ml), and UW (10.3 +/- 1.9 ml); it was slightly depressed in EC (6.7 +/- 2.5 ml, P = 0.06), and markedly depressed in Ringer lactate (4.3 +/- 0.8 ml, P less than 0.05). After 24 hr of cold storage bile production in UW-stored livers was near normal (9.3 +/- 0.7 ml) but significantly depressed (3.5-6.2 ml) in all other solutions tested. Release of enzymes into the normothermic perfusate was also measured (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase). In this small series the differences between cold storage solutions did not always reach statistical significance although the trend was for less enzyme release in livers stored in UW solution. This technique permits rapid assessment and refinement of new storage methods and new solutions for liver preservation prior to testing in a large animal transplant model. The results suggest that UW solution is superior to other preservation solutions and would permit successful 24-hr storage of livers.