The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 72, 769-777, Copyright © 1976 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Fresh platelet-rich plasma from a flow-through centrifuge for lamb heart perfusion at 13degrees C. Protective effect of added erythrocytes
J Suaudeau and T Kolobow
Isolated lamb hearts perfused at 13degrees C. with acellular perfusates
developed progressive intersitital edema and a rise in vascular resistance.
They did not exhbit any electrical or mechanical activity. In contrast,
hearts perfused with whole fresh blood remained well preserved, had no
edema or change in vascular resistance, and contracted vigorously while
being perfused at 10degrees and 13degrees C. This study was designed to
determine which particular component(s) of whole blood contributed to
improved cardiac preservation. Isolated lamb hearts were perfused for 18
hours at 13degrees C. with plasma containing platelets and some or no red
blood cells. Continuously fresh plasma was obtained from a donor animal by
means of a flow-through centrifuge. Hearts perfused at 13degrees C. with
fresh plasma of either low or high platelet count contracted during the
initial 2 to 4 hours of the perfusion only and were as poorly preserved as
hearts perfused with acellular microfiltered plasma. A hematocrit value of
2 to 5 per cent in the plasma perfusate resulted in the hearts being
preserved almost as well as with fresh whole blood; they showed a forceful
cardiac activity at 13degrees C., there was no edema, the vascular
resistance was stable, and after rewarming they had good ventricular
function. The improvement in cardiac preservation brought about by addition
of a minimal amount of red blood cells suggests a specific effect of
erythrocytes on the cardiac microcirculation.
