A betaine-contained solution reduced cold ischemia damage through inhibiting vacuolar degeneration in livers

A new osmoprotectant-containing multiple saccharide (MS) solution was formulated for this study. The primary objectives were to compare the effects of the MS solution with those of the University of Wisconsin (UW) solution and hypertonic citrate adenine (HCA) solution on liver cold preservation, as well as to investigate the mechanisms underlying osmolarity-induced injury. Rat livers were cold-stored for 18 h at 4 °C using the different solutions and subsequently subjected to 2 h of normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) for functional assessment. The livers were categorized into four groups: HCA, UW, MS, and a control group. Liver function and histological changes were evaluated using biochemical markers such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alongside histopathological analysis. Additionally, the expression of aquaporin 9 (AQP9) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in hepatocytes was examined. Liver damage was significantly reduced in the UW and MS groups (p