Objective To investigate the time limit of human uterine tissue tolerating cold ischemic injury.
Method The uterus in this study were from 10 patients undergoing panhysterectomy or subtotal hysterectomy for hysteromyoma. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the ethical committee approval was received. According to different preservation solutions, the uterine tissues were divided into University of Wisconsin (UW)solution group (group UW, n=5) and Ringer acetate (RIN) solution group (group RIN, n=5) at 0-4℃. The histological changes of the uterine tissues were observed by optical microscope and electron microscope when time for preservation was up. The autonomic contraction of myometrium and the response of myometrium to oxytocin were observed to judge the cold ischemic injury of the preserved tissues.
Result No change in the endometrium and myometrium of all preserved tissues was observed by optical microscope. Compared with the normal uterine tissues, no ultrastructure change of the uterine tissues was observed after 6 h and 24 h storage in UW solution and 6 h storage in RIN solution by electron microscope. But irreversible degenerative changes of the tissues were observed after 24 h storage in RIN solution. Severe degenerative changes of the uterine tissues occurred. Different degree of swelling was observed in the mitochondria and change was also observed in the cell nucleus (thickening chromatin). Compared with normal uterine tissues, all the contraction of myometrium mildly weakened in 2 groups. Autonomic contraction or contraction after applying small dose of oxytocin of all the uterine tissue samples were observed after 6 h and 24 h storage in group UW and 6 h storage in group RIN, while no contraction was observed in samples after 24 h storage in group RIN.
Conclusion The human uterine tissue can tolerate cold ischemic injury for at least 6 h and preserve for 24 h in UW solution at low temperature.
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