Abstract
We have reported that isolated rat skeletal muscles can be preserved safely for a long period when soaked in hypotonic rat Ringer solution (HypoR) containing xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol (APN) at low temperatures. The osmolality of HypoR was adjusted to 220–230 mOsm, which contained 100 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 1 mM CaCl2, 2 mM MgCl2, 10 mM HEPES, 10 mM glucose, 0.02 mg/ml penicillin, and 2 IU/ml heparin. Hypotonic APN Ringer solution (APN-HypoR) contained furthermore 1.5 mM APN. Hypotonic recovery solution contained (mM) : 110 NaCl, 2.5 KCl, 2 CaCl2, 4 HEPES. Freshly isolated extensor hallucis longus muscles (EHLs) were soaked in the recovery solution and control tetanus tensions (P0) were measured at room temperatures. Thereafter these EHLs were preserved at low temperatures (3–6 °C). Test tetanus tensions (PT) compared with P0 in the recovery solution after the preservation for 40 hrs using isotonic rat Ringer solution (IsoR), HypoR, and APN-HypoR were 12%, 28%, and 74%, respectively. Similarly, PT after the preservation for 60 hrs using IsoR and HypoR showed a trace, while those using APN-HypoR remained about 30%. Mechanism of long-term survival of the muscles soaked in APN-HypoR is unclear, but production of some harmful substances may be prevented and/or their excretion may be accelerated. [J Physiol Sci. 2008;58 Suppl:S66]
