The effect of superoxide dismutase and catalase on the extended preservation of the ex vivo heart for transplantation.

The applicability of heart transplantation remains limited in part by the inability to preserve the excised heart for long periods of time. Free radical scavengers have been shown to protect the anoxic myocardium by preventing damage to the cell membrane and may, therefore, be effective in extending successful preservation of donor hearts. We perfused 10 sheep hearts for 8 hours in an ex vivo perfusion system.

The effect of oxygen free radical scavengers on the recovery of regional myocardial function after acute coronary occlusion and surgical reperfusion.

This study investigated the effects of the oxygen free radical scavengers superoxide dismutase and catalase, the peroxide ion inhibitor, in crystalloid potassium cardioplegic solution on infarct size and global and regional myocardial function after occlusion of the left anterior descending artery and surgical reperfusion in young sheep on cardiopulmonary bypass. After 1 hour of occlusion, the animals were randomized to receive either routine potassium cardioplegia or cardioplegia with superoxide dismutase and catalase. Global hemodynamics measured by maximum rate of pressure rise showed significant improvement after 5 hours of reperfusion in the group treated with superoxide dismutase and catalase (1843 +/- 163 versus 979 +/- 191, p less than 0.

The effect of amino acid L-glutamate on the extended preservation ex vivo of the heart for transplantation.

The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of L-glutamate on the extended preservation of the heart ex vivo added to a hypothermic preservative solution. Ten sheep hearts were removed after application of cold crystalloid potassium cardioplegia. The hearts were immersed in iced normal saline and right ventricular and left ventricular intraventricular balloons were connected to transducers to measure compliance.

Successful management of aortic valve endocarditis with associated periannular abscess and aneurysm.

Aortic valve endocarditis extending beyond the aortic root presents a particularly difficult management problem. During a four-year period we have seen four patients with extensive annular abscesses involving the native valve (in 1 patient) and prosthetic valves (in 3). In all these patients the aortic roots were debrided and valved conduits were replaced with coronary artery grafts while appropriate antibiotics were administered.