Normothermic Machine Perfusion of Rat Liver: Comparing Two Perfusion Methods
Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Meeting: 2020 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: D-292
Keywords: Liver preservation, Machine preservation
Session Information
Session Name: Poster Session D: Ischemia Reperfusion & Organ Rehabilitation
Session Type: Poster Session
Date: Saturday, May 30, 2020
Session Time: 3:15pm-4:00pm
Presentation Time: 3:30pm-4:00pm
Location: Virtual
*Purpose: Isolated perfused rodent liver (IPRL) model has gained popularity in ex-vivo rat liver preservation and pharmacological intervention studies. Experimental conditions and system layouts vary greatly. Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) allows mimicking of in-vivo conditions and provides a translational platform for liver transplant studies. We investigated two different IPRL systems with rat liver NMP and compared the performance of both systems.
*Methods: Male SD rats, age 12-14 weeks, are chosen as blood and liver donors. Livers are flushed in-situ with and stored in ice-cold HTK fluid for 1 hour. After putting rats under deep anesthesia, blood is collected through aorta cannulation and pooled into the perfusate reservoir. Cannulation of portal vein and inferior vena cava is performed after placing the liver in pre-cooled perfusion chamber. The main difference of two systems is portal perfusion driving method, utilizing either a cylindrical roller pump or gravitational force from an elevated reservoir. Liver NMP is then performed for 2 hours with a target portal pressure of 4mmHg. Perfusion additives include heparin, insulin, epoprostenol, bile salt, cefazolin, and sodium bicarbonate. Perfusate samples were taken periodically and blood-gas, liver function panel was tested at the institutional core facilities. Data was then collected and analyzed.
*Results: 12 rat livers were assigned to either Pump group (system A, n=6) or Gravity group (system B, n=6) for NMP. The average body weight and liver weight were 307.0±15.6g vs 377.0±46.7g and 10.8±0.7g vs 13.9±2.8g. Total system volume were 105.0±11.8mL vs 103.0±6.1mL. Total bile produced after 2 hours of NMP in each group was 1.03±0.14mL vs 2.17±0.65mL (p=0.002). Comparable results were observed in perfusate pH, hematocrit, glucose consumption, lactate clearance and transaminase.
*Conclusions: In rat liver NMP, pump-driven and gravity-driven IPRL systems, although technically unique, produced comparable perfusion performance and similar liver function outcomes.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Zhou F, Xu M, Ahmed O, Upadhya GA, Lin Y, Chapman WC. Normothermic Machine Perfusion of Rat Liver: Comparing Two Perfusion Methods [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2020; 20 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/normothermic-machine-perfusion-of-rat-liver-comparing-two-perfusion-methods/. Accessed May 9, 2025.« Back to 2020 American Transplant Congress