title: Histopathology Image Analysis in Two Long-Term Animal Experiments with Helical Flow Total Artificial Heart.
abstract: Histopathological analysis can provide important information in long-term experiments with total artificial heart (TAH). Recently, a new type of blood pump, the helical flow total artificial heart (HF-TAH) was developed. This study aimed to investigate the changes in selected vital organs in animal experiments with implanted HF-TAH. Samples from lung, liver, and kidneys from two female goats (No. 1301 and No. 1304) with implanted HF-TAH were analyzed. Tissue samples were fixed in 10% formaldehyde and 4 µm thick transverse sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE). Additional staining was done for detection of connective tissue (Masson-Goldner stain) and for detection of iron (hemosiderin) deposits (Perls stain). Sections were scanned at 100× and 500× magnification with a light microscope. Experiment no. 1301 survived 100 days (cause of termination was heavy damage of the right pump); experimental goat no.1304 survived 68 days and was sacrificed due to severe right hydrodynamic bearing malfunction. Histopathological analysis of liver samples proved signs of chronic venostasis with limited focal necrotic zones. Dilated tubules, proteinaceous material in tubular lumen, and hemosiderin deposits were detected in kidney samples. Contamination of the organs by embolized micro-particles was suspected at the autopsy after discovery of visible damage (scratches) of the pump impeller surface (made from titanium alloy) in both experiments. Sporadic deposits of foreign micro-particles (presumably titanium) were observed in most of the analyzed parenchymal organs. However, the described deposits were not in direct connection with inflammatory reactions in the analyzed tissues. Histopathological analysis showed the presence of minimal contamination of the lung, kidney, and liver tissue samples by foreign material (titanium very likely). The analysis showed only limited pathological changes, especially in liver and kidneys, which might be attributed to the influence of artificial perfusion often observed in chronic TAH experiments.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathological Anatomy.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wotke
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Homolka
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, International Clinical Research Center, International Clinical Research Center Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, St. Anne's University Hospital of Brno.
authors.forename: Jaromír
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vasku
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dobsak
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palanova
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mrkvicova
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Konecny
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University Brno, Brno.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sexuology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pohanka
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novakova
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, International Clinical Research Center, International Clinical Research Center Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, St. Anne's University Hospital of Brno.
authors.forename: Terumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yurimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, International Clinical Research Center, International Clinical Research Center Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, St. Anne's University Hospital of Brno.
authors.forename: Itsuro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, International Clinical Research Center, International Clinical Research Center Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, St. Anne's University Hospital of Brno.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, International Clinical Research Center, International Clinical Research Center Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, St. Anne's University Hospital of Brno.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isoyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, International Clinical Research Center, International Clinical Research Center Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, St. Anne's University Hospital of Brno.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats; D006354:Heart, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D014025:Titanium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium
keywords: Helical flow; Histopathology; Microparticles; Titanium alloy; Total artificial heart