title: Light and electron microscopic analyses of autologous pericardial tissue used as a small-diameter arterial graft in dogs.
abstract: As a form of small-diameter arterial graft, we implanted fresh autologous pericardium and pericardium treated with 0.6% glutaraldehyde in the bilateral carotid arteries of dogs and then compared the time-related changes of the grafts explanted after the predetermined periods. The pericardial grafts were implanted in 1 animal each for scheduled periods of 3 days, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. The retrieved grafts were processed for light and electron microscopic analyses following gross observation. The glutaraldehyde-treated small-diameter pericardial vascular grafts showed a better endothelialization of the blood-contacting surface and a slower fragmentation of the collagen layers than the fresh grafts although it has yet to be proven whether these differences are so significant as to affect the patency results between the groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Clinical Research Center, Seoul National University Hospital, and Heart Research Institute, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Won Gon
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Hyuck
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sang Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010496:Pericardium / Q000637:transplantation*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014654:Vascular Patency