title: Donkey pericardium as an alternative bioprosthetic heart valve material.
abstract: This study comparatively evaluates the characteristics of glutaraldehyde-treated acellular bovine and donkey pericardium using histological and electronic microscopic observation techniques, shrinkage temperature, and mechanical properties, as well as determining calcium and phosphorus content at 4 and 8 weeks after the subcutaneous implantation of donkey and bovine pericardium in Wistar rats. Donkey pericardium was significantly thinner compared with bovine pericardium (1.622 ±  0.161 mm vs. 4.027 ± 0.401 mm, P < 0.0001) and was associated with significantly greater tensile strength (14.21 ±  3.81 MPa vs. 3.78 ± 1.20 MPa, P = 0.001) and elastic modulus (81.67 ± 20.41 MPa vs. 21.67 ± 11.69 MPa, P <  0.0001) over bovine pericardium. Shrinkage temperature of donkey pericardium was similar to that of bovine pericardium (87.43 ± 0.55°C vs. 87.50 ± 0.36°C, P =  0.810). No differences between groups were observed for maximum load (donkey: 21.64 ± 7.02 KN/m vs. bovine: 15.05 ± 4.50 KN/m, P = 0.082) and tear strength (donkey: 11.54 ± 5.33 MPa vs. bovine: 10.69 ±  3.77 MPa, P = 0.757). Calcium content was significantly lower in donkey pericardium compared with bovine pericardium at 4 weeks (690.15 ± 191.27 µg/g vs. 1381.73 ± 62.52 µg/g, P = 0.001) and 8 weeks (205.24 ± 62.40 µg/g vs. 910.48 ± 398.29 µg/g, P = 0.037). This preliminary study has confirmed that glutaraldehyde-tanned donkey pericardium, demonstrating reduced calcification and increased tensile strength, may provide a suitable bioprosthetic valve substitute.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ji'nan, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Shanliang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yuxi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tianqi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D018397:Equidae; D005404:Fixatives; D005976:Glutaral; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D010496:Pericardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013696:Temperature; D013718:Tensile Strength; D013997:Time Factors; D016707:Tissue Fixation; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives; D010758:Phosphorus; D002118:Calcium; D005976:Glutaral