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J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2005;129:80-86
© 2005 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

General Thoracic Surgery

Iloprost to improve surfactant function in porcine pulmonary grafts stored for twenty-four hours in low-potassium dextran solution

^a Hannover Thoracic Transplant Program, Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
^b Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

Received for publication December 18, 2003; revisions received March 5, 2004; accepted for publication April 6, 2004.

^* Address for reprints: Martin Strueber, MD, Director, Hannover Thoracic Transplant Program, Division of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30623 Hannover, Germany (E-mail: strueber{at}thg.mh-hannover.de).

OBJECTIVES: The optimal strategy for pulmonary graft preservation remains elusive. Experimental work and initial clinical experience support low-potassium dextran solutions as lung perfusates. We have previously shown a protective effect of prostaglandin E₁ on ischemia-reperfusion injury in lung transplantation by a shift from proinflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokines in a rat lung transplantation model. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the addition of a prostacyclin analog (iloprost) to low-potassium dextran might lead to improved surfactant and ultimately graft function.

METHODS: In a randomized, blinded study with a porcine left single-lung transplantation model, donor lungs were flushed with 1 L of either low-potassium dextran solution or low-potassium dextran solution modified by the addition of 250 µg iloprost (n = 6 in each group). Grafts were stored at 4°C for 24 hours. After transplantation, the right bronchus and pulmonary artery were clamped, and the animals remained dependent on the graft. Posttransplantation graft function was assessed throughout a 7-hour observation period by measuring oxygenation (30-minute intervals), different pulmonary and systemic hemodynamic parameters, and wet/dry lung weight ratios. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained before and 2 hours after reperfusion. Surfactant function was measured from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid with a pulsating bubble surfactometer. Neutrophil sequestration was assessed by a myeloperoxidase assay performed on lung tissue specimens taken at the end of the observation period.

RESULTS: Pulmonary vascular resistance remained lower in the iloprost group than in the control group (P < .05). Tissue water content after 7 hours of reperfusion remained lower in the iloprost group (P < .05). In addition, significantly reduced myeloperoxidase tissue activity was observed in the iloprost group (P < .05). Although there was no difference in degradation of surface active surfactant large aggregates to small aggregates, the surface tension measured at minimal bubble diameter was lower in the iloprost group (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS: Modification of low-potassium dextran solution with the prostacyclin analog iloprost resulted in a significant amelioration of ischemia-reperfusion injury and improved preservation of surfactant function in transplanted lungs. This intriguing approach merits further evaluation with respect to the mechanisms involved and, ultimately, potential introduction into clinical lung transplantation.

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