Porcine hepatic phospholipid efflux during reperfusion after cold ischemia.

BACKGROUND Cold preservation produces hepatic injury that is difficult to assess during early reperfusion. The value of reperfusion plasma choline phospholipid in predicting subsequent organ function is documented in these studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Livers of female Yorkshire pigs were prepared for transplantation. After 2 h of cold ischemia the reperfusion plasma was evaluated for choline phospholipid and cholesterol. These values were correlated with bile secretion, hepatic hemodynamics, oxygen uptake, and plasma sorbitol dehydrogenase levels. RESULTS The isolated porcine liver demonstrates a rapid efflux of choline phospholipids into plasma during early reperfusion after cold preservation. After this initial efflux no subsequent plasma increment occurred. These choline-phospholipid increments were isolated in plasma higher density (d > 1.063) lipoproteins and were not accompanied by equivalent increases in cholesterol. Neither biliary reflux nor lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase abnormalities contributed appreciably to the phospholipid increments in reperfusion plasma. Livers with the largest efflux of choline phospholipids had the most impaired circulatory and bile secretory function at 4 h of reperfusion. CONCLUSION The immediate increase of choline phospholipids, particularly lysophosphatidylcholine, in reperfusion plasma after cold ischemia provides an index of the injury occurring during this interval and correlates with early organ function.