[Construction of a tissue-engineered valve with decellular porcine aortic valve scaffold in the abdominal aorta of canine].
OBJECTIVE
To explore an experimental method for construction of tissue-engineered heart valve (TEHV) in canine abdominal aorta.


METHODS
The decellular porcine aortic valve (PAV) leaflets seeded with canine vessel interstitial cells and endothelial cells (ECs) were implanted into 6 canine abdominal aortas. Valve specimens were obtained respectively at the end of 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after implantation were studied for morphology, histology and immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
(1) After 4 weeks implantation, multiple layers of cells grew into peripheral portion of valve scaffold, while new extracellular matrix appeared, and original scaffold tissue was partially absorbed. (2) At the end of 10th week after implantation, the decellular PAV scaffold disappeared completely and was substituted by recipient cells and new extracellular matrix. The interstitial cells in matrix was mainly consisted of fibroblasts and myofibroblast. The matrix was mainly composed by type I, III collagen, some elastic fibers with neutral and acid mucopolysaccharide. (3) Surface of valve leaflets were covered with endothelial cells.


CONCLUSIONS
(1) TEHV is primarily constructed with recellularized PAV after implantation into canine abdominal aorta for 10 weeks. (2) Heterotopic implantation into the abdominal aorta is an alternative experimental procedure to study the TEHV.
Liu
Wei-yong
WY
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China. weiyongl@fmmu.edu.cn
Zhao
Dong-e
DE
Jin
Zhen-xiao
ZX
Gu
Chun-hu
CH
Tan
Hong-mei
HM
D000818:Animals; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D004285:Dogs; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D008297:Male; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013552:Swine; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous