Organ care solution for ex-vivo machine perfusion of donor lungs

1. A method of perfusing a donor lung at or near physiologic conditions comprising:

flushing the donor lung prior to excising the donor lung from a donor's body with at least one flushing solution including at least one nutrient, at least one colloid, at least one buffer, and magnesium sulfate anhydrate;

excising the donor lung from the donor's body;

placing the donor lung on an organ care system (OCS); and

flowing a perfusion liquid through the donor lung, the perfusion liquid being at a physiologic temperature, the perfusion liquid comprising:

a nutrient, a colloid, a hormone, a steroid, a buffer, magnesium sulfate anhydrate, an antimicrobial agent and at least one of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor or a nitrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the perfusion liquid

the nutrient includes glucose monohydrate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and a multi-vitamin; the colloid includes dextran 40; the hormone includes insulin; the steroid includes methylprednisolone; the buffer includes disodium phosphate anhydrate, monopotassium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate; phosphodiesterase inhibitor includes milrinone, and the nitrate includes nitroglycerin.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each liter of the perfusion liquid comprises

milrinone in an amount of about 4000 mcg;

nitroglycerin in an amount of about 10 mg to 50 mg;

dextran 40 in the amount of about 50 g;

sodium chloride in an amount of about 8 g;

potassium chloride in an amount of about 0.4 g;

magnesium sulfate anhydrate in an amount of about 0.098 g;

disodium phosphate anhydrate in an amount of about 0.046 g;

monopotassium phosphate in an amount of about 0.063 g;

glucose monohydrate in an amount of about 2 g;

insulin in an amount of about 20 IU;

the multi-vitamin in an amount of about 1 unit vial;

sodium bicarbonate in an amount of about 15 mEq; and

methylprednisolone in an amount of about 1 g.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising mixing the perfusion liquid with whole blood.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising mixing the perfusion liquid with red blood cells.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising mixing the perfusion liquid with leukocyte-depleted whole blood.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising ventilating the donor lung when flushing the donor lung prior to excising the donor lung to allow for homogenous distribution of the at least one flushing solution and to increase the oxygen concentration in the donor lung alveoli.

8. A method of preserving a donor lung comprising:

flushing the donor lung prior to excising the donor lung from a donor's body with at least one flushing solution including at least one nutrient, at least one colloid, at least one buffer, and magnesium sulfate anhydrate;

excising the donor lung from the donor's body;

placing the donor lung on an organ care system (OCS);

perfusing the donor lung in a lung perfusion circuit of the OCS with a perfusion solution including at least one nutrient, at least one colloid, at least one buffer, and magnesium sulfate anhydrate to maintain the donor lung ex-vivo at a near physiological temperature and in a near physiologic functioning condition and to permit normal cellular metabolism in the donor lung, wherein the perfusion solution is supplemented with a circulating hematocrit of between 15% to 30%.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein in the flushing solution:

the at least one nutrient comprises glucose monohydrate, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride;

the at least one colloid comprises dextran 40; and

the at least one buffer comprises disodium phosphate anhydrate and monopotassium phosphate.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein in the flushing solution:

the concentration of the glucose monohydrate is about 2 g/L;

the concentration of the sodium chloride is about 8 g/L;

the concentration of the potassium chloride is about 0.4 g/L;

the concentration of the dextran 40 is about 50 g/L;

the concentration of the disodium phosphate anhydrate is about 0.046 g/L;

the concentration of the monopotassium phosphate is about 0.063 g/L; and

the concentration of the magnesium sulfate anhydrate is about 0.098 g/L.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the perfusion solution further comprises insulin, a multi-vitamin, sodium bicarbonate, methylprednisolone, milrinone, and nitroglycerin.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the insulin is at a concentration of about 20 IU/L;

the multi-vitamin is at a concentration of about 1 unit vial per liter;

the sodium bicarbonate is at a concentration of about 15 mEq/L;

the methylprednisolone is at a concentration of about 1 g/L;

the milrinone is at a concentration of about 4000 mcg/L; and

the nitroglycerin is at a concentration of 10 mg/L to 50 mg/L.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the perfusion solution further comprises cefazolin, ciprofloxacin, and voriconazole.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the cefazolin is at a concentration of about 1 g/L;

the ciprofloxacin is at a concentration of about 0.2 g/L; and

the voriconazole is at a concentration of about 0.2 g/L.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising ventilating the donor lung when flushing the donor lung prior to excising the donor lung to allow for homogenous distribution of the at least one flushing solution and to increase the oxygen concentration in the donor lung alveoli.

16. A method of preserving a donor lung comprising:

flushing the donor lung antegrade prior to excising the donor lung from a donor's body with a first flushing solution;

flushing the donor lung retrograde prior to excising the donor lung from a donor's body with a second flushing solution;

excising the donor lung from the donor's body;

placing the donor lung on an organ care system (OCS);

perfusing the donor lung in a lung perfusion circuit of the OCS with a perfusion solution including at least one nutrient, at least one colloid, at least one buffer, and magnesium anhydrate to maintain the donor lung ex-vivo at a near physiological temperature and in a near physiologic functioning condition and to permit normal cellular metabolism in the donor lung, wherein the perfusion solution is supplemented with a circulating hematocrit of between 15% to 30%;

wherein the first flushing solution and the second flushing solution each include at least one nutrient, at least one colloid, at least one buffer, and magnesium sulfate anhydrate; and

wherein the first flushing solution comprises nitroglycerin at a concentration higher than a concentration of nitroglycerin in the second flushing solution.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the concentration of nitroglycerin in the first flushing solution is about 50 g/L.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the concentration of nitroglycerin in the second flushing solution is about 10 g/L.