BackgroundThe first crucial step in transplantation appears to be the effective rinsing
of the graft during organ procurement. Even though there is strong suspicion
that ex situ perfusion results in better rinsing of the graft,
there is no proof for this hypothesis. The aim of this study was to analyse
the differences of in situ and ex situ kidney perfusion in
a porcine model.MethodsStandardised multiorgan procurement was performed in 15 German landrace pigs.
Perfusion was carried out using
histidine–tryptophan–ketoglutarate solution (HTK) under the
application of pressure. In one kidney, in situ perfusion via the
aorta was carried out while the second kidney received ex situ
perfusion via the renal artery (RA). Perfusate flow inside the aorta and the
RA was recorded at different pressure steps. In order to visualise the
effect on the microcirculation, different coloured microparticles (MPs; 10
μm) were administered via the aorta or RA. Subsequently, frozen
sections of the explanted kidneys were analysed histologically and MPs were
evaluated quantitatively.ResultsEx situ kidney perfusion resulted in significantly improved flow
rates (P<0.0001) compared with in situ perfusion. By
applying ex situ perfusion it was even possible to attain
physiological flow levels on the RA under the application of external
pressure of 150 to 200 mmHg. The amount of MPs was able to highlight the
positive impact of ex situ perfusion on microcirculation of the
kidney graft (P<0.0001).ConclusionsThe use of MPs represents a valuable tool for quantitative investigation and
illustration of kidney perfusion in experimental setups. Additional ex
situ perfusion is able to improve the quality of kidney
perfusion.