Induction of organ dysfunction and up-regulation of inflammatory markers in the liver and kidneys of hypotensive brain dead rats: a model to study marginal organ donors.

Background: Marginal donors exposed to the full array of effects induced by brain death are characterized by low success rates after transplantation. This study examined whether organs from marginal brain dead animals show any change in organ function or tissue activation making them eventually more susceptible for additional damage during preservation and transplantation.

Methods: To study this hypothesis we first focused on effects of brain death on donor organ quality by using a brain death model in the rat.

The relative contribution of insulin secretory capacity, insulin action, and incretins to metabolic control after islet transplantation in dogs.

Adequate metabolic control is central to the concept of islet transplantation, but has received limited attention. We studied metabolic control in 8 dogs at 6-9 months after intrasplenic autografting of approximately 25% of the normal mass islets--as compared to 30 controls. A similar posttransplant reduction to approximately 25% of the insulin secretory capacity as assessed by intravenous arginine stimulation during 35 mM glucose clamps, mirrored the reduction of the islet mass.

Extended preservation and effect of nitric oxide production in liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation (Ltx) has become a routine procedure for patients with end-stage liver disease. Despite ongoing progress on short- and long-term graft survival, primary dysfunction (PDF) remains a major problem. PDF is significantly associated with the duration of cold ischemia- and, possibly, with reperfusion-related injury.