ABSTRACT
Objective: To modify the pulsatile bioreactor we constructed previously for simulating the high-flow, high-pressure hemodynamics of heart valve in vivo, and to experimentally cultivate the tissue-engineered heart valves (TEHV) in the modified bioreactor. Methods: T-PLS system (NewheartBio Co., Ltd Korea) was used to generate pulsatile f1ow in the modified bioreactor and we designed a new air-exchange pathway to avoid contamination. The TEHV were made by seeding human bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on de cellularized porcine heart valve. After cultured under static condition for 4 d, the TEHVs were moved to the modified bioreactor and exposed to low-flow (0-600 ml/min) or high-flow(0-4 800 ml/min) pulsatile hydrodynamics for 7d, then the cells on TEHVs were evaluated. Results: After modification, the flow range expanded from (0-1 200) ml/min to (0-6000) ml/min and the pressure range expanded from (0 40) mmHg to (0-180) mmHg. In culture experiments, 26.3% of the seeded cells remained under low-flow environment and cells were completely lost under the high-flow dynamics. Conclusion: The modified bioreactor can basically simulate the dynamics of heart valve in vivo and can be used in TEHV cultivation research. However, the current TEHV can not tolerate the high-flow pulsatile hydrodynamics.