title: Biointegration and growth of porcine valved pulmonary conduits in a sheep model.
abstract: As there is currently no suitable valved pulmonary conduit for small children, porcine conduits treated by the L-Hydro process were implanted into 9 newborn lambs to investigate growth potential. Of the 8 survivors, 7 were kept alive for 12 months after implantation. The diameter of the conduit and gradient across the valve were evaluated at surgery and at 3 and 9 months postoperatively using bidirectional echocardiographic and angiographic methods. After sacrifice, histological and radiological analyses were performed. The mean weight of the animals was 4.2 +/- 1.1 kg at implantation and 43.1 +/- 6.2 kg at sacrifice. There was a significant increase in mean valve area from 139.9 +/- 18.0 mm2 at implantation to 443.5 +/- 89.2 mm2 at 12 months. Pre-sacrifice angiography showed no transvalvular gradient, and radiographic analysis did not reveal significant conduit wall or leaflet calcification in any of the animals. Histological examination of the grafts demonstrated total integration, with native-like intact valve leaflets. Thus functional evaluation, echocardiography, and histology demonstrated growth of the grafts with completely endothelialized and apparently normal pulmonary valve leaflets without calcification.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas Labcor Laboratórios Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. gfurlanetto@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Gláucio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Furlanetto
authors.forename: Carlos H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Passerino
authors.forename: Rolland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Chueng
authors.forename: Sidney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levitsky
authors.forename: Ivan S J
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Casagrande
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D006085:Graft Survival; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development / Q000637:transplantation*; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development / Q000637:transplantation*; D011859:Radiography; D012756:Sheep; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013552:Swine; D014021:Tissue Preservation