Efficacy of lactobionate-enriched cardioplegic solution in preserving compliance of cold-stored heart transplants.

Cardioplegic solutions of the extracellular type are commonly used as storage media for heart transplants. Because this type of formulation was not originally designed for preventing hypothermically induced edema, we assessed the effects of supplementing a standard, extracellular-like cardioplegic solution with the high molecular weight impermeant lactobionate on water content and postischemic compliance of isolated rat hearts. In one series of experiments, hearts were immersed in either a standard cardioplegic solution of the extracellular type or in the same solution supplemented with lactobionate (80 mmol/L).