Biocompatibility of aldehyde-fixed bovine pericardium. An in vitro and in vivo approach toward improvement of bioprosthetic heart valves.
Aldehyde-induced side effects limit the clinical usefulness of bioprosthetic heart valves. Treatment of aldehyde-fixed pericardium with L-glutamic acid at pH 3.5 and storage in a nontoxic, bacteriostatic solution resulted in a lower degree of calcification in 63-day subcutaneous implants in rats (13.3 +/- 2 mg calcium per gram dry weight of tissue), as compared with commercially available tissue (169 +/- 24 mg/gm, p less than 0.05). Endothelial cells died within 1 day after seeding on the commercial tissue; however, considerable endothelial cell proliferation was measured, even 14 days after seeding on L-glutamic acid-treated pericardium. Improved biocompatibility of this alternative treatment may be due to stable chemical binding of free, reactive aldehyde groups.
Second Department of Surgery, University of Vienna, Austria.
M
M
Grimm
E
E
Eybl
M
M
Grabenwöger
A
A
Griesmacher
U
U
Losert
P
P
Böck
M M
MM
Müller
E
E
Wolner
D000818:Animals; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002417:Cattle; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005976:Glutaral / Q000494:pharmacology; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010496:Pericardium / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*
D005971:Glutamates; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005976:Glutaral