Influence of different preservation solutions and intentional hemodilution of recipient on viability of preserved and transplanted rat kidneys

Abstract. A total of 81 rat kidney grafts, flushed out and cold stored in either Sacks' or University of Wisconsin (UW) solution, were transplanted into hemodiluted (Hct = 30%± 4%) or untreated (Hct = 43%± 3%) recipients. The cold ischemia times (CIT) used were 24 and 36 h. One week after transplantation, the surviving recipients ( n = 67) were contralaterally nephrectomized. The experiment was terminated after a total period of 4 weeks, and the percentage of surviving animals was determined for each treatment. Data was pooled and the results show that grafts cold stored in UW solution were viable to a significantly greater extent and after longer CIT than grafts cold stored in Sacks' solution (47% vs 23%; P < 0. 05). Recipient hemodilution did not improve graft viability (39% vs 32%; NS). Kidneys cold stored for 24 h were viable to a greater extent than kidneys with a CIT of 36 h (50% vs 15%; P < 0. 01).