title: Replacement of pulmonary artery trunk in sheep using tubular valved heterograft in non-aldehydic preservation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cardiac bioprostheses are related to thromboembolic events, infectious and degenerative diseases. Wear is mainly attributed to the denaturation of collagen. Glutaraldehyde, the predominant method of preservation of bioprostheses, favors the calcification process and limits their durability. Several techniques try to contain the degenerative process of bioprostheses.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the process of calcification in vivo pulmonary valve heterografts preserved in non-aldehydic (L-Hydro®).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen sheep underwent replacement of the pulmonary artery valved tubular grafts of bovine pericardium. The animals were divided into two groups: Group L-Hydro® (test / n = 14) and Group Glutaraldehyde (control / n = 3). About 150 days after implantation the animals were sacrificed, necropsied and implants subjected to a pathological study, radiological evaluation and measurement of calcium by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Statistical analysis was obtained through the Fisher's exact test, Student's t or Mann-Whitney test (significance: 5%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The radiological evaluation, the macroscopic and microscopic measurement of serum calcium by atomic absorption spectrophotometry showed increased calcification of the prosthetic group Glutaraldehyde, when compared to denture-HydroR Group L (P = 0.001). Seven animals in Group L-Hydro® (50%) had adherence of the leaflets to the wall of the tube (P = 0.228).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prostheses preserved in L-Hydro® were more resistant to calcification when compared with glutaraldehyde preserved.
authors.affiliation: Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. helmgton@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Helmgton José Brito de
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: José Honório de Almeida
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: Ivan Sérgio Joviano
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Casagrande
authors.forename: Sérgio Campos
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Christo
authors.forename: Luiz Sérgio
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Alves-Silva
authors.forename: Marco Antônio Cardoso de
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Diego Felipe
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Gaia
authors.forename: Enio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buffolo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D005976:Glutaral; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D012756:Sheep; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium; D005976:Glutaral