Functional Assessment of the Donor Heart During Ex Situ Perfusion: Insights from Pressure-Volume Loops and Surface Echocardiography

Summary

A reliable noninvasive approach for functional assessment of the donor heart during normothermic ex situ heart perfusion (NESP) is lacking. We herein describe a protocol for ex situ assessment of myocardial performance using the epicardial echocardiography and conductance catheter method.

Abstract

Heart transplantation remains the gold standard treatment for advanced heart failure. However, the current critical organ shortage has resulted in the allocation of a growing number of donor hearts with extended criteria. These marginal grafts are associated with a high risk of primary graft failure and may benefit from ex situ perfusion before transplant. This technology allows for extended organ preservation using warm oxygenated blood perfusion with continuous metabolic monitoring. The only NESP device currently available for clinical practice perfuses the organ in an unloaded non-working state, which does not allow for functional assessment of the beating heart. We therefore developed an original platform of NESP in working mode conditions with adjustment of left ventricular preload and afterload. This protocol was applied in porcine hearts. Ex situ functional assessment of the heart was achieved with intracardiac conductance catheterization and surface echocardiography. Along with a description of the experimental protocol, we herein report the main results, as well as pearls and pitfalls associated with the acquisition of pressure-volume loops and myocardial power during NESP. Correlations between hemodynamic findings and ultrasound variables are of major interest, especially for further rehabilitation of donor hearts before transplantation. This protocol aims to improve the assessment of donor hearts to both increase the donor pool and reduce the incidence of primary graft failure.

Introduction

Heart transplantation is the gold standard treatment for advanced heart failure, but is limited by current organ shortage¹. A growing number of donor hearts with extended criteria (age >45 years, cardiovascular risk factors, prolonged low flow, acute left ventricular dysfunction secondary to catecholaminergic storm) are allocated with an increased risk of primary graft failure². Moreover, hearts donated after controlled circulatory death (DCD) may be presented with myocardial injury secondary to prolonged warm ischemia³. Therefore, there is a need for a better assessment of these donor hearts befo....

Protocol

The present protocol was approved by the local ethics committee on animal experiments and by the Institutional Committee on Animal Welfare (APAFIS#30483-2021031811339219 v1, Animals Ethics Committee of the University of Paris Saclay, France). Animals were treated in accordance with the Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals developed by the National Institute of Health and with the Principles of Laboratory Animal Care developed by the National Society for Medical Research.

NOTE: Surgical procedures were performed under strict sterility using the same techniques used for a human being. Experimental procedures included large wh....

Results

We herein described a NESP protocol in a monoventricular working state, using a modified heart perfusion module usually employed in clinical practice for Langendorff perfusion of the donor heart before transplantation. This piglet model of NESP using the present custom module was developed in 2019. The modifications of the circuit were minor, as most of the perfusion circuit was re-used for experiments. The cap of the module provided a flexible and waterproof membrane to protect the heart during transportation. It also a.......

Discussion

There are some critical steps to consider in the NESP protocol. In situ preliminary assessment of the heart remained important, especially considering the aortic valve that should not present with significant aortic regurgitation (grade 2 or more); otherwise, the resuscitation of the heart will be compromised during the Langendorff period because of impaired coronary perfusion and myocardial ischemia. The initiation of the WM after Langendorff perfusion was a challenging maneuver, requiring at least two persons .......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
3T Heater Cooler System	Liva Nova, Châtillon, France	IM-00727 A	Extracorporeal Heater Cooler device
4-0 polypropylene suture	Peters, bobigny, France	20S15B	sutures
5-0 polypropylene suture	Peters, bobigny, France	20S10B	sutures
Adenosine	Efisciens BV, Rotterdam, Netherlands	9088309	Drugs for the ex-vivo perfusion
Adrenaline	Aguettant, Lyon, France	600040	Drugs for the ex-vivo perfusion
Atracurium	Pfizer Holding France, Paris, France	582547	Drugs for the induction of the anesthesia
DeltaStream	Fresenius Medical Care, L’Arbresle, France	MEH2C4024	Extracorporeal blood pump
EKG epicardial electrodes	Cardinal Health LLC, Waukegan, Illinois, USA	31050522	EKG detection electrodes
External pacemaker	Medtronic Inc. Minneapolis, Minneapolis, USA	5392	Pacemaker device
Glucose 5%	B.Braun Melsungen AG, Melsungen, Germany	3400891780017	Drugs for the priming solution
Heart Perfusion Set, Organ Care System	Transmedics, Andover, MA, USA	Ref#1200	Normothermic ex-vivo heart perfusion device
Intellivue MX550	Philips Healthcare, Suresnes, France	NA	Permanent monitoring system
Istat 1	Abbott, Chicago, Ill, USA	714336-03O	Blood Analyzer machine
Labchart	AD Instruments Ltd, Paris, France	LabChart v8.1.21	Pressure Volume loops aquisition software
Magnesium	Aguettant, Lyon, France	564 780-6	Drugs for the cardioplegia
Magnesium Sulfate	Aguettant, Lyon, France	600111	Drugs for the cardioplegia
Mannitol 20%	Macopharma, Mouvoux, France	3400891694567.00	Drugs for the cardioplegia
Methylprednisolone	Mylan S.A.S, Saint Priest, France	400005623	Drugs for the priming solution
Millar Conductance Catheter	AD Instruments Ltd, Paris, France	Ventri-Cath 507	Pressure Volume loops conductance catheter
MWI software	General Electric Healthcare, Chicago, Ill, USA	NA	software used for the Ultrasound echocardiographic machine
Orotracheal probe	Smiths medical ASD, Inc., Minneapolis, Minneapolis, USA	100/199/070	probe for the intubation during anesthesia
Potassium chloride 10%	B.Braun Melsungen AG, Melsungen, Germany	3400892691527.00	Drugs for the cardioplegia
Propofol	Zoetis France, Malakoff, France	8083511	Drugs for the induction of the anesthesia
Quadrox-I small Adult Oxygenator	Getinge, Göteborg, Sweden	BE-HMO 50000	Extracorporeal blood oxygenator
Ringer solution	B.Braun Melsungen AG, Melsungen, Germany	DKE2323	Drugs for the cardioplegia
Sodium Bicarbonate	Laboratoire Renaudin, itxassou, France	3701447	Drugs for the cardioplegia
Sodium chloride	Aguettant, Lyon, France	606726	Drugs for the priming solution
Swan Ganz Catheter	Merit Medical, south jordan, utah, USA	5041856	Right pressure and cardiac output probe
Tiletamine	Virbac France, Carros, France	3597132126021.00	Drugs for the induction of the anesthesia
Transesophagus probe (3–8 MHz 6VT)	General Electric Healthcare, Chicago, Ill, USA	NA	Ultrasound echocardiographic transesophagus probe
Vivid E95 ultraSound Machine	General Electric Healthcare, Chicago, Ill, USA	NA	Ultrasound echocardiographic machine
Xylocaïne 2%	Aspen, Reuil-malmaison, France	600550	Drugs for the cardioplegia
Zolazepam	Virbac France, Carros, France	3597132126021.00	Drugs for the induction of the anesthesia