title: Biochemical and mechanical behavior of ostrich pericardium as a new biomaterial.
abstract: We have performed a comparative analysis of glutaraldehyde-preserved ostrich pericardium, as a novel biomaterial, with bovine pericardium. The biochemical characteristics (histology, water content, amino acid composition, and collagen and elastin contents), mechanical properties, and in vivo calcification in a subcutaneous rat model were examined. Ostrich pericardium is slightly thinner and shows a higher water content (70+/-2% vs. 62+/-2%) than bovine pericardium. Additionally, ostrich pericardium presents 1.6-fold lower elastin content and a lower percentage of collagen in reference to the total protein content (68+/-2% vs. 76+/-2%). However, ostrich pericardium shows better mechanical properties, with higher tensile stress at rupture (32.4+/-7.5 vs. 11.5+/-4.6) than calf pericardium. In vivo calcification studies in a rat subcutaneous model show that ostrich pericardium is significantly less calcified than bovine pericardium (23.95+/-13.30 vs. 100.10+/-37.36 mg/g tissue) after 60 days of implantation. In conclusion, glutaraldehyde-stabilized ostrich pericardium tissue shows better mechanical properties than calf tissue. However, calcium accumulation in implanted ostrich tissue is still too high to consider it a much better alternative to bovine pericardium, and anticalcification treatments should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Experimental, Unidad de Biomateriales, H.U. Clínica Puerta de Hierro, San Martín de Porres 4, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M Martín
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Maestro
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turnay
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Olmo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: García Páez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Urillo
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lizarbe
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jorge-Herrero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004549:Elastin / Q000032:analysis; D005976:Glutaral; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods; D010496:Pericardium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D020310:Struthioniformes
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004549:Elastin; D005976:Glutaral