Effect of Thyroid Hormone on Stored Kidney Preservation for Further Transplant

Summary

Changes in kidney weight, QO₂ of kidney cortex slices, N content, and LDH and MDH activities of kidney homogenates were studied after several experimental procedures, aimed to preserve organ transplantability and considered as patterns of kidney preservation.

The results obtained show, from the biochemical point of view, that continuous perfusion with KRPG medium at low temperature and continuous oxygen supply, is not an adequate method, since in vitro QO₂ markedly decreases by this procedure. The use of corticosteroids is even more inadequate, because they produce high increase in enzyme activities, as expression of severe tissue metabolic or structural damage.

Thyroid hormone T₃, when added to the medium, however, not only prevents such a QO₂ decrease, but also produces an increase of the same. Tissue edema is, nevertheless, not avoided.

The most favorable procedure seems to be the simple immersion of the kidney in KRPG medium at 4° and continuous bubbling of O₂. In addition to causing less tissue edema, such a procedure is able to maintain in vitro QO₂ and LDH and MDH activities at the control levels. In this technique, T₃ addition lacks any benefit and, on the contrary, it seems to further the histological changes observed in stored kidneys.