Effects of Lª²Arg on isolated lung preservation

    YANG Ye, CHENG Qingª²Shu, WANG Xiaoª²Ping, LI Xiaoª²Fei, JIANG Tao, ZHOU Yongª²An, CHEN Lianª²Hong, TIAN Feng

    Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¡¯an 710038, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To investigate the effects of Lª²Arg on the preservation of isolated donor lung and underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Ten dogs were randomly divided into 2 groups. In the control group, the isolated donor lungs were flushed with and preserved in cold euroª²collins solution (EC) at 4¡æ. In the experimental group, the isolated donor lungs were flushed with and preserved in cold EC added with 2 g/L Lª²Arg at 4¡æ. After preserved for 30, 60, 120, 180, 240 min respectively, the tissue samples of the donor lung were taken for the measurement of nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. In addition, the wet to dry weight ratio (W/D) and histological changes were also observed at 240 min. RESULTS: There were significant differences in NO, SOD, MDA contents and W/D at any appointed time points (P<0.05, P<0.01). The NO and SOD contents of the experiment group were significantly higher than those of the control group. But the MDA content was lower in the experimental group than that in the control group. With the prolongation of preserving duration, the NO and SOD contents tended to drop more prominent in the experimental group while MDA level tended to rise. The W/D determination and light microscopy revealed that the donor lungs in the control group were more seriously damaged. CONCLUSION: Lª²Arg added in EC has significant protective effects on isolated donor lungs, which may be due to the increased NO production and changes of the balance between clearout and production of oxygenª²free radicals. ......