Destruction of Kupffer cells with Gadolinium-Chloride (GdCl3) has a preventive effect on ischemia/reperfusion injury after liver transplantation. We wanted to evaluate protective effects of GdCl3 on microperfusion disturbances in transplanted liver. Landrace pigs were randomly divided into three groups. Hepatic liver lobes were named as 12 areas and microcirculation was quantified using thermodiffusion probe. In the control group (n=6), mapping of the native liver was conducted. In two transplantation groups, donor animals (n=10) received 20mg/kg GdCl3 i.v. 24h before organ harvesting. Then orthotopic liver transplantation was performed. In recipients, transplanted livers were mapped 1h (n=5) and 24h (n=5) after reperfusion. In the control group a homogenous liver microcirculation with a mean flow of 82 ml/100g/min was detected. 1h after reperfusion a marked microperfusion heterogeneity was noted in the transplanted group (p<0.01), which completely re-homogenized in 24 hours. However, mean liver perfusion was reduced by about 8.4%. After destruction of Kupffer cells, the transplanted livers showed a heterogeneous microperfusion 1h after reperfusion. In contrast to untreated transplanted livers, GdCl3-treated livers showed a homogenous microperfusion 24h after transplantation. Therefore, Kupffer cell destruction reduces ischemia / reperfusion injury and seems to be responsible for the early microperfusion recovery and for an improvement of graft function.