Hypothermic preservation system of heart graft by microperfusion. Preliminary study

In order to increase heart graft preservation time, a simple portable and reliable mlcroperfuslon system has been realized experimentally. This system satisfied : (i) continuous heart microperfusion at 4ºC, (ii) good viability of the keeping cardiac grafts. Faisability tests were studied on isolated pig heart, safely preserved 24 H with the microperfusion apparatus. Hypothermic heart preservation by this microperfusion method could be assessed by 4 different ways as followed : (i) by NM R spectroscopy. NMR antenna was specially realized to performed measurements without graft extraction of its sterilized transport jar, (ii) by electronic microscopy imaging, from cardiac biopsies, (iii) biochemically. Biopsies were analyzed by HPLC for high energy phosphate, (iv) by reanimation, on exvivo functional testing system at the end of the mlcroperfusion preservation period. All studies demonstrated a good viability and functionality of the hearts preserved 24 H with this hypothermic microperfusion apparatus.