A comparative study of cardiac preservation with Celsior or University of Wisconsin solution with or without prior administration of cardioplegia

Background: We have previously reported the cardiac functional and metabolic benefits of administration of extracellular-type cardioplegia before preservation with University of Wisconsin solution. Celsior solution was designed to be used both as an arresting solution and a storage solution for heart transplantation. The objective of the present study is to compare cardiac function of hearts arrested and preserved with Celsior solution to hearts arrested with cardioplegia followed by preservation with UW solution. Methods: Rabbit hearts were divided into 4 groups: in the Celsior group, hearts were arrested and preserved with Celsior solution; in the C-Celsior group, hearts were arrested by an extracellular-type cardioplegia and preserved with Celsior solution; in the UW group, hearts were arrested and stored in University of Wisconsin solution; and, in the C-UW group, hearts were arrested with extracellular-type cardioplegia and stored in University of Wisconsin solution. After 6 hours of preservation, cardiac function was measured using modified Frank-Starling curves in the isolated blood-perfused working heart. Results: Cardiac function in the Celsior group was inferior to that in both the C-UW group and UW group. The C-Celsior group demonstrated inferior cardiac function compared with the Celsior group (P < 0.01), whereas no significant difference was observed between the C-UW and UW groups. Conclusions: Celsior solution did not surpass UW solution regardless of the use of cardioplegia. Further studies are required to develop optimal solution for use as both an arresting solution and a storage solution.