The assessment of the quality of the graft in an animal model for lung transplantation using the metabolomics 1H high-resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy.

Standards are needed to control the quality of the lungs from nonheart-beating donors as potential grafts. This was here assessed using the metabolomics 1H high-resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. Selective perfusion of the porcine bilung block was set up 30 min after cardiac arrest with cold Perfadex®. Lung alterations were analyzed at 3, 6, and 8 h of cold ischemia as compared to baseline and to nonperfused lung. Metabolomics analysis of lung biopsies allowed identification of 35 metabolites. Levels of the majority of the metabolites increased over time at 4°C without perfusion, indicating cellular degradation, whereas levels of glutathione decreased. When lung was perfused at 4°C, levels of the majority of the metabolites remained stable, including levels of glutathione. Levels of uracil by contrast showed a reverse profile, as its signal increased over time in the absence of perfusion while being totally absent in perfused samples. Our results showed glutathione and uracil as potential biomarkers for the quality of the lung. The metabolomics 1H high-resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy can be efficiently applied for the assessment of the quality of the lung as an original technique characterized by a rapid assessment of intact biopsy samples without extraction and can be implemented in hospital environment.