Abstract
Objective We compared preservative effects of monosaccharide (glucose), disaccharides (trehalose, maltose, sucrose), and trisaccharide (raffinose) to investigate whether effects of saccharides on lung preservation depend on its molecular weight, energy-level maintenance and cytoprotective effects. Methods Experiment 1: The effect of trehalose on the preservation of canine lungs was studied with the use of Euro-Collins solution (ECS). Experiment 2: An ex vivo rat lung model using homologous blood as the perfusate was employed. The lungs were flushed with one of the solutions containing glucose, trehalose, maltose, sucrose or raffinose and preserved for 14 hours. Results Experiment 1: The PaO 2 values in perfused with a modified ECS in which glucose was placed by trehalose were siginificantly higher than those in perfused with ECS. Experiment 2: The glucose, maltose and raffinose groups showed significantly higher levels of shunt fraction, pulmonary artery pressure and peak inspiratory pressure compared to the Fresh and trehalose groups. After reperfusion levels of ATP became significantly lower in the glucose, sucrose, maltose and raffinose groups. Ultrastructural examination revealed endothelial cell injury in the glucose, sucrose, maltose and raffinose groups. Conclusions These results show that effects of saccharides may depend on their cytoprotective effect rather than on impermeant activity or energy-level maintenance of the preserved lung. Trehalose proved to be superior to the other saccharides.
