1. A method to increase the time one or more donated organs will remain viable prior to transplantation, comprising:
after a decision is made to terminate life-support for a human patient declared brain dead, infusing using a first intravenous line said patient with a fluorocarbon fluid comprising a chain length from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms; and
harvesting said one or more organs.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronously with said infusing, exsanguinating said patient using a second intravenous line.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising synchronously with said infusing and said exsanguinating, ventilating said patient with oxygen.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising nebulizing said fluorocarbon fluid with 100 percent oxygen prior to said infusing.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluorocarbon fluid comprises dodecafluoropentane.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
prior to said infusing, forming a composition comprising said fluorocarbon fluid in combination with an aqueous solution comprising sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions and magnesium ions.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said aqueous solution further comprises chloride ions and bicarbonate ions.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein said aqueous solution further comprises one or more saccharides.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein said aqueous solution further comprises one or more amino acids or salts thereof.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein said aqueous solution further comprises one or more vitamins.
11. The method of claim 6, wherein said aqueous solution further comprises insulin.
12. A method to increase the time one or more donated organs will remain viable prior to transplantation, comprising:
flushing organs harvested from a donor with a fluorocarbon fluid comprising a chain length from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms;
after said flushing, storing said one or more organs at a temperature between about 2 \xb0 C. to about 25 \xb0 C.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said fluorocarbon fluid comprises dodecafluoropentane.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
prior to said flushing, forming a composition comprising said fluorocarbon fluid in combination with an aqueous solution comprising sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions and magnesium ions.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said aqueous solution further comprises chloride ions and bicarbonate ions.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said aqueous solution further comprises one or more saccharides.
17. A composition for flushing one or more donated organs to enhance the time said one or more donated organs will remain viable prior to transplantation, comprising a fluorocarbon fluid comprising a chain length from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms.
18. The composition of claim 17, wherein said fluorocarbon fluid comprises dodecafluoro-pentane.
19. The composition of claim 18, further comprising sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions and magnesium ions.
20. The composition of claim 19, further comprising chloride ions and bicarbonate ions.
21. The composition of claim 20, further comprising one or more saccharides.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1.-25. (canceled)
26. A method of determining the effect of a compound on an ATP-generating enzyme activity in a sample not containing living cells, comprising:
(a) contacting a compound, ADP, and a sample, so as to produce a first reaction mixture;
(b) contacting the first reaction mixture with a reagent composition comprising luciferase, luciferin, and a tolerance enhancement agent so as to produce a second reaction mixture, wherein the tolerance enhancement agent is present in an amount effective to substantially protect the activity of the luciferase from interference from the compound, thereby reducing the likelihood of a false positive resulting from the interfering effect of the compound;
(c) detecting luminescence in the second reaction mixture; and
(d) determining the effect of the compound, if any, on the ATP-generating enzyme activity by comparing the luminescence of the second reaction mixture to a control reaction mixture.
27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the steps are conducted consecutively.
28. The method according to claim 26, wherein steps (a) and (b) are conducted simultaneously to produce a reaction mixture, wherein luminescence is detected in the reaction mixture.
29. The method according to claim 26, wherein the tolerance enhancement agent comprises a detergent or a non-detergent.
30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the tolerance enhancement agent comprises a cationic, anionic, non-ionic or zwitterionic detergent.
31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the detergent comprises nonionic polyglycol ether, polyoxyethylene 23 lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene 20 cetyl ether (HO(CH2CH2O)20C16H33), 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl-polyethylene glycol (t-1)ct-C6H4\u2014(OCH2,CH2)xOH, x=9-10), 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl-polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene 9, branched nonylphenyl ether, 3-(3-cholamido propyl)dimethylammonio-1-propanesulfonate, 3-(3-cholamido propyl)dimethylammonio)-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonate, N,N-bis(3-D-gluconamidopropropyl)cholamide, polyethylene glycol 400 dodecyl ether (HO(CH2CH2O)6(CH2)11CH3), poly(ethyleneglycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol), polyethoxylated (20) oleyl alcohol, polyoxyethylene 9 lauryl alcohol, 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol ethoxylate 10, deoxycholate, cetyl-trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), C8=Octyl-\u03b2-D-glucopyranoside, or n-decyl-6-D-maltoside (C10 alkyl side chain) or dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) detergent.
32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the reaction composition comprises two or more detergents.
33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the tolerance enhancement agent comprises a non-detergent.
34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the non-detergent is selected from the group comprising polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl pyridine, crown either, and cyclodextrin.
35. The method according to claim 26, wherein the ATP-generating enzyme is a kinase or phosphatase.
36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the tolerance enhancement agent is selected from the group comprising nonionic polyglycol ether, polyethylene glycol 400 dodecyl ether (HO(CH2CH2O)6(CH2)11CH3), or 3-(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio)-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonate detergent.