Midazolam

Five Swedish landrace pigs with a median weight of 63 (61–65) kg were fasted overnight with free access to water. Premedication was performed with an intramuscular injection of xylazine (Rompun® vet. 20 mg/ml; Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Germany; 2 mg/kg) mixed with ketamine (Ketaminol® vet. 100 mg/ml; Farmaceutici Gellini S.p.A., Aprilia, Italy; 20 mg/kg), and a peripheral intravenous access was established in the earlobe. The pigs were then transferred to the laboratory and placed in the supine position on the operating table. Anesthesia was induced with sodium thiopental (Pentothal; Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Illinois, USA) and pancuronium bromide (Pavulon; N.V. Organon, Oss, The Netherlands). Anesthesia was maintained with a ketamine (Ketaminol® vet), Midazolam (Midazolam Panpharma®, Oslo, Norway), and fentanyl (Leptanal®, Lilly, France) infusion. Fluid loss was compensated for by continuous infusion of Ringer’s solution. Mechanical ventilation was established with a Siemens-Elema ventilator (Servo Ventilator 300, Siemens, Solna, Sweden).

An overview is provided in Figures 1A, B. All donors (n = 22) and recipients (n = 22) were premedicated with xylazine (Rompun^® vet. 20 mg/mL; Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Germany; 2 mg/kg) and ketamine (Ketaminol^® vet. 100 mg/mL; Farmaceutici Gellini S.p.A., Aprilia, Italy; 20 mg/kg). All animals were placed under general anesthesia with ketamine (Ketaminol^® vet, 100 mg/mL; Farmaceutici Gellini S.p.A., Aprilia, Italy; 20 mg/kg), Midazolam (Midazolam Panpharma^®, Oslo, Norway) and fentanyl (Leptanal^®, Lilly, France). A pulmonary artery catheter (Swan-Ganz CCOmbo V and Introflex, Edwards Lifesciences Services GmbH, Unterschleissheim, Germany) was inserted into the right internal jugular vein and an arterial line (Secalon-T™, Merit Medical Ireland Ltd., Galway, Ireland) was placed in the right common carotid artery.