Preservation of metabolic reserves and function after storage of myocytes in hypothermic UW solution

• Published in: American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology 2001-09, Vol.281 (3), p.C758-C772
• Main Authors: Hegge, Julia O, Southard, James H, Haworth, Robert A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine - pharmacology; Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Aerobiosis; Allopurinol - pharmacology; Anaerobiosis; Animals; Calcium - pharmacology; Cardioplegic Solutions - pharmacology; Cells, Cultured; Glucose - pharmacology; Glutathione - pharmacology; Heart - drug effects; Heart - physiology; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Insulin - pharmacology; Kinetics; Male; Myocardial Contraction - drug effects; Myocardial Contraction - physiology; Myocardium - cytology; Myocardium - metabolism; Organ Preservation Solutions; Phosphocreatine - metabolism; Raffinose - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Temperature; Tissue Preservation - methods; Tromethamine - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0363-6143; 1522-1563
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.2001.281.3.c758

Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53792 Isolated rat myocytes cold stored anaerobically up to 24 h in University of Wisconsin solution lost 95% of their ATP and 100% of their glycogen. They underwent contracture when rewarmed in a Krebs-Henseleit (KH) medium that contained Ca unless Ca addition was delayed. In the latter case, cell function, measured by stimulation-induced cell shortening, was surprisingly well retained. Aerobically stored cells were resistant to Ca on rewarming, although 96% of glycogen was still lost, along with 46% of ATP. Cells that were incubated for 48 h aerobically with the substrates glucose and pyruvate at pH 6.2 retained 77% of their ATP and 59% of their glycogen, with good cell morphology. At pH 6.2, the demand for ATP was only 55% of that at pH 7.4. However, after rewarming, these cells functioned no better than anaerobically stored cells, although their inotropic response to isoproterenol was improved. We conclude that 1 ) aerobic conditions with substrates at low pH preserve myocyte metabolic reserves well for 48 h, partly by reducing the demand for ATP; 2 ) rewarming conditions are critical for anaerobically stored cells with metabolic stores that are severely depleted; and 3 ) unloaded cell function is surprisingly insensitive to a period of severe metabolic deprivation. glycogen; adenosine 5'-triphosphate; morphology; cell shortening; reperfusion conditions; University of Wisconsin solution