Vessel allograft preservation is essential for vascular reconstruction surgery. The preservation solution is crucial in extending the preservation period while maintaining vascular endothelial function. Currently, a 0.9% normal saline solution (NSS) is widely used as a storage solution although its protective effect on endothelial preservation is limited. In this study, we determine the beneficial effect of recombinant human secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (rhSLPI), supplemented to 0.9% NSS, for isolated aortic preservation. The thoracic and abdominal aorta were isolated from Wistar rats (n = 6), and the aortic rings were subsequently cut and preserved in 0.9% NSS in the presence and absence of 1 μg/ml rhSLPI for 0, 6, 24, and 48 hours. The preservative solution was collected to determine the released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Furthermore, the appearance and severity of vessel degeneration were subjected to blind histopathological assessment by pathologists. The results indicated that 0.9% NSS, supplemented with rhSLPI, significantly reduced the released LDH activity, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels and could attenuate endothelial detachment, endothelial degeneration, and endothelial necrosis. This study demonstrated for the first time that adding rhSLPI to a saline preservative solution could prevent vascular injury and possibly extend the graft storage duration before clinical intervention.
Key words: secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor; preservative solutions; vessel graft; ischemia/reperfusion; vascular reconstruction
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