Background. Literature is controversial whether organs from living donors have a better graft function than brain dead and non-heart-beating donor organs. Success of transplantation has been correlated with high energy phosphate contents of the graft. Methods. High energy phosphate contents in heart, liver, kidney and pancreas from living, brain dead and from donation after cardiac death in a pig model (n=6 per donor type) were evaluated systematically. Brain death was induced under general anaesthesia by inflating a balloon in the epidural space. 10 hours after confirmation organs were retrieved. Cardiac arrest was induced by 9V direct current. After 10 min of ventricular fibrillation without cardiac output mechanical and medical reanimation was performed for 30 min prior to organ retrieval. In living donors organs were explanted immediately. Freeze-clamped biopsies were taken before perfusion with HTK solution after perfusion and after cold ischemia (4 h for heart, 6 h for liver and pancreas and 12 h for kidney). High energy phosphates (HEP: ATP, ADP, AMP, phosphocreatine), xanthine and hypoxanthine were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Energy charge and ATP/ADP ratio were calculated.

Results. After ischemia organs from different donor types showed no difference in energy status. In all organs a decrease of HEP and an increase in hypoxanthine contents were observed during perfusion and ischemia, irrespective of the donor type.

Conclusion. Organs from brain dead or non-heart-beating donors do not differ from living donor organs in their energy status after average tolerable ischemia.

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