Preservation of the Anoxic Heart With a Metabolic Inhibitor and Hypothermia

Abstract

Previous studies demonstrated that refrigeration in a balanced electrolyte solution with 10% serum at 4 C for eight hours allowed dog hearts to return to relatively normal function after homotransplantation.¹ Utilization of magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) as a metabolic inhibitor extended the tolerance of rat hearts to ischemia at normothermia from less than 15 minutes to four hours and of dog hearts from less than an hour to over three hours.² A solution of magnesium, glucose, and dextran 40 maintained satisfactory viability of the lung in situ at normothermia for over four hours and at 4 C for over eight hours.³ The present study was designed to evaluate the preservative effects of combining a metabolic inhibitor and hypothermia for storage of isolated rat hearts up to 48 hours. Materials and Methods Albino rats averaging 250 gm in weight were anesthetized with ether and the hearts excised. The