PMID- 12879229 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20040727 LR - 20220409 IS - 0934-0874 (Print) IS - 0934-0874 (Linking) VI - 16 IP - 11 DP - 2003 Nov TI - Donor pretreatment with gadolinium chloride improves early graft function and survival after porcine liver transplantation. PG - 806-13 AB - Kupffer cell depletion by gadolinium chloride (GdCl(3)) in rat livers has previously been proven to minimize hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury after experimental liver transplantation (LTX). In the current study, we evaluated the effects of donor pretreatment with GdCl(3) on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury, macro- and microcirculation, and endotoxin clearance of the liver in a porcine model of experimental LTX. Two groups of 12 pigs were treated either with intravenous NaCl (0.9%; control) or GdCl(3) (20 mg/kg). Twenty-four hours after pretreatment, hepatic macrocirculation was quantified by Doppler flowmetry and liver parenchymous microcirculation by implanted thermodiffusion electrodes. The liver grafts were transplanted after 4-6 h of cold ischemia in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution. At 1 and 24 h after LTX, the perfusion values were re-evaluated and histology, biochemical (aspartate aminotransferase, AST) and functional parameters (partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, and bilirubin) were analyzed. Furthermore, endotoxin clearance of the liver was evaluated at all time points. In GdCl(3)-treated animals 80% of the Kupffer cells were destroyed, and 24 h after LTX ischemia/reperfusion injury in treated grafts was significantly lower in comparison to controls, as shown by histology, AST levels (741+/-490 U/l in controls vs 379+/-159 U/l in treated grafts, P<0.05), survival (67% vs 92%), and enhanced macro- (total transhepatic blood flow [THBF]=112+/-22 ml/min per 100 g in controls vs 157+/-45 ml/min per 100 g in treated grafts, P