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Abstract: PO2045

Kidney Precooling Improves Renal Outcome After Transplantation due to Preserved Mitochondrial Function

Session Information

Category: Transplantation

  • 1901 Transplantation: Basic

Author

  • Wang, Lei, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States
Background

Transplanted organs experience several episodes of ischemia and Ischemia-reperfusion. Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) has remained one of the most serious hurdles for the survival of transplanted grafts. Temperature plays an important role in cellular metabolic rates since biochemical reactions are highly temperature dependent. Therefore, ischemia-triggered degradative reactions could be mitigated by lowering tissue temperature. Whether a local hypothermia on kidney before blockage of blood flow protects kidney grafts against IRI has not been investigated.

Methods

In the present study we performed kidney transplantation and applied local hypothermia on the donor kidney before blockage of renal blood flow, which procedure is called “kidney precooling”. Kidney graft injury and function were evaluated at 7 days after transplantation.

Results

kidney precooling improved graft functions by >47% accompanied with about 50% less kidney graft injury. The protective mechanisms of kidney precooling are associated with preserved mitochondria function and significantly delayed ATP depletion. More impressively, the precooling enables us to double the storage time of the donor kidneys in preservation solution in rats. Retrospective analysis of patient data also showed close association between hypothermia and kidney graft function.

Conclusion

Taken together, reduction of the cellular metabolism and enzymatic activity to a minimum level before ischemia protects kidney graft against IRI during transplantation.

Funding

  • NIDDK Support