Study of heart tissue viability using fluorescent probes and native laser-induced fluorescence

We investigated the change of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectra of isolated cardiac graft tissues during their storage at a temperature of +4°C. The results were compared using routine histological methods, experiments performed using fluorescent probes and quantitative fluorimetry. We discovered that the loss of myocardium tissue viability leads to its LIF spectra alteration. Hence everything points that the LIF method of integral estimation of heart tissues viability has a high diagnostic potential. The advantages of this method are its rapidity and a low level of adverse effects on tissue. Thus LIF could be utilized for low-invasive rapid control of transplant viability in the process of its preparation and during the surgery itself.