Low Temperature Preservation of Mammalian Kidneys

Abstract

An attempt has been made to apply Farrant's principle for long-term, low temperature preservation of tissues (1965) to the kidney. Kidneys from rats, rabbits, cats and dogs have been perfused with solutions containing increasing concentrations of DMSO while the temperature was lowered to -30°C. They were then stored at -79°C or at -196°C before being rewarmed and the DMSO removed by further perfusion. Considerable losses occurred from the kidney into the perfusate of potassium, protein and enzymes. Kidneys of rats stored at -79°C without freezing and at -196°C with freezing maintained a good histological appearance with intact brush borders. The kidneys of the dog stored for 11 days at -79°C produced urine in the first hours after transplantation. Then function ceased and the kidney showed severe histological damage.