Preservation of Adrenoceptor and Endothelin Receptor Mediated Vasoconstriction and of Endothelium-Dependent Relaxation after Cold Storage of Explanted Blood Vessels for ex vivo Analyses.

INTRODUCTION: Adrenoceptor and endothelin (ET) receptor-mediated vasoconstriction as well as endothelium-dependent vasodilation of human saphenous veins were compared before and after 20 h of cold storage.

METHODS: Contractile responses to potassium chloride (KCl), norepinephrine (NE), and ET-1 as well as vasodilator responses to acetylcholine (ACh) were evaluated.

RESULTS: Storage in HEPES-supplemented Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (HDMEM) diminished KCl induced contractile forces to 71% (p = 0.002) and NE induced contractions to 80% (p = 0.037), in contrast to HEPES-supplemented Krebs-Henseleit solution (HKH) and TiProtec solution. KCl-normalized NE contractions were not affected by storage. NE EC50 values were slightly lower (7.1E-8 vs. 7.5E-8, p = 0.019) after storage in HKH, with no changes after storage in the other solutions. Endothelium-dependent responses to ACh were not affected by storage. ET-1 induced contractions were attenuated after storage in HDMEM (77%, p = 0.002), HKH (75%, p = 0.020), and TiProtec (73%, p = 0.010) with no changes in normalized constrictions. ET-1 EC50 values were not affected by storage.

CONCLUSION: Loss of contractility after storage in HDMEM may reflect the lower content of dextrose. There was no specific attenuation of adrenoceptor, ET-receptor, or ACh receptor mediated signal transduction after storage in any of the media. HKH or TiProtec are equally suitable cold storage solutions for ex vivo measurements.