Hypothermic preservation of the rat liver assessed by orthotopic transplantation. II. Evaluation of citrate solutions.

Rat livers were flushed with isotonic citrate solution (IC), hypertonic citrate solution (HC), or Collins' solution (C2), and were stored at 0 degree C for 8-16 hr. Following 8-hr preservation, the number of animals surviving for one month was greatest with IC grafts (6/8) and least with C2 grafts (2/7). There was no significant difference between the two citrate groups. Following 12-hr preservation, the IC group was superior to the HC group (3/6 vs. 1/6). Following 16-hr preservation, all four animals in each citrate group died within 24 hr. The ability of livers to produce bile was greater in the citrate groups, compared with the C2 group. A bile flow rate less than 0.3 microliter/min/g liver, 15 min after implantation, appeared to predict subsequent poor survival. There were no significant histological differences between biopsies taken from each group at the end of the transplant operation. Biochemical measures of liver function were best in animals that had received IC grafts, and functional damage after preservation was consistently greater in the C2 group than the citrate groups. The best results were obtained with grafts preserved with IC solution.