BIOMECHANICS AND BIOCOMPATIBILITY STUDY OF ACELLULAR PORCINE AORTIC HEART VALVE LEAFLETS / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Tissue engineering heart valves need a scaffold with good quality for cell growth and adherence. The psesent work was to investigate the biomechanics and biocompatibility of acellular porcine heart valves. The method used in this study could completely remove the cellular components in the porcine heart valve leaflets. Compared with fresh leaflets,the water content of acellular leaflets increased, and the soluble protein content decreased significantly. But the shrinkage temperature, thickness, stretch rate and strength at rupture of the acellular leaflets were not altered significantly compared with the fresh leaflets. After implanting the acellular leaflets subcutaneously in rabbits,it was proved that host cells could grow into the leaflets along the collagen fibers. These results suggested that acellular porcine heart valve leaflets could be used as a scaffold to construct tissue engineering heart valves with satisfacfory mechanical property and tissue compatibility.