[Organ preservation by heavy water (D2O). Morphological and biochemical studies on heart and liver (author's transl)].

The tissue H2O of rabbit heart and rat liver was partially exchanged in situ with D2O. In rat liver, the loss of ATP, resulting from normothermic ischemia, was decreased after perfusion with D2O. The maximal protective effect was found when the proportion of D2O in the water of the liver tissue was 0.20. In both organs the protective effect of D2O could be correlated with a marked decrease in severe ischemic damage of cellular organelles, in particular mitochondria. D2O also increased the protective action of Mg-ions in the heart.