Isolated in-vitro perfusion of pig hearts obtained from the abattoir: an alternative to animal experiments?

Isolated pig hearts (German farm pigs) were characterized after global in-vivo ischaemia as a potential alternative to in-vivo animal studies. Hearts were harvested from adult farm swine at the abattoir 10.3 +/- 2.1 min after incision of the carotid artery. They were immediately perfused and thereafter stored in ice-cold cardioplegic (St Thomas's) solution. After 38 +/- 3 min, retrograde perfusion was started with oxygenated pig blood (37 degrees C; 5000 U Heparin.l-1; pH 7.38 +/- 0.1; 11 mmol glucose.l-1) at a flow rate of 85 ml.min-1 100 g-1 wet weight (gww-1) for 30 min (n = 10). Additionally, shortly after obtaining the hearts, ATP and CP content were measured by enzymatic tests in 10 p…