Calcium antagonists improve kidney function in the rat after cold storage in high-Na UW but not in high-K UW solution

Abstract EXTRACELLULAR types (high-Na) of cold-storage solution (CSS) have been shown to be more effective in preserving kidneys than intracellular CSS (high-K). 1,2 We have previously demonstrated with the isolated perfused rat kidney model (IPK) that a high-Na version of University of Wisconsin (UW) Belzer's CSS (Na-UW) seemed to be less injurious to recovery function than the original high-K UW Belzer's solution (K-UW). 3 On the other hand, a number of clinical investigations have suggested that calcium entry blockers (CEB) may improve graft function when administered after and/or prior to transplantation. 4,5 The ischemia reperfusion syndrome involves, in part, an alteration in intracellular calcium metabolism that induces an increase in renal vascular resistances (RVR) and other cellular dysfunction, and high-K CSS per se are vasoconstrictive. 6 Since maneuvers that would prevent vasoconstriction may favour the intraorgan diffusion of the cold-storage solution and ameliorate preservation, we evaluated with the IPK model, the actual benefit of the vasodilator nifedipine on kidneys preserved in K-UW and Na-UW.