Objective To investigate the cold preservation effect on rat livers of a modified storage method with self-made HYD solution.Methods The vascular bed of rat livers was expanded with an additional 20 to 40?ml self-made HYD solution/100?g liver. After resection of the liver, the extra HYD solution (expressed as % liver weight) was entrapped via portal infusion by tying off the supra- and infra-hepatic inferior vena cava. Forty rats were randomly divided into four groups including control group with conventional storage method, and 20%, 30% and 40% groups according to the amount of extra HYD solution. We compared the preservation effect of the modified storage method with that of the conventional storage method using an isolated perfused rat liver model.Results Bile production and all the indices of hepatic microcirculation including portal perfusion pressure, endothelin-1 in the effluent, trypan blue distribution time and histology were significantly superior in the modified method groups compared to those in the control group (P<0.05). The contents of dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA) in the modified method groups were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Liver enzymes activities in the 30% group were markedly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The preservation effect on rat liver in the 30% group was the best among the modified method groups.Conclusion The modified cold storage method is effective and may have potential for clinical application in liver preservation.
