In vitro evaluation of modified pericardium for cardiovascular applications

Abstract

The growing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is leading to an increase in required cardiovascular implants. Pericardial tissues have been used for bioprosthetic manufacture due to advantage in availability and excellent mechanical properties. Porcine pericardium is considered to be suitable for prosthetic fabrication. In this study, porcine pericardium was decellularized and cross linked with 0.05% glutaraldehyde. The modified pericardium was characterized by histology staining, FTIR, mechanical properties and suture retention. In vitro degradation of the modified pericardium was determined via the remaining dry weight and hydroxyproline assay after incubation in collagenase solution. The modified membrane was evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity and supporting human endothelial progenitor cell attachment and proliferation. Trichrome staining and FTIR examination revealed the crosslinking effect of glutaraldehyde with more tight internal collagen fibers structure and slight shift of amide II group. In comparison to the decellularized sample, the modified membrane showed a strong mechanical and suture retention strength. Significant resistance to enzymatic digestion was also recorded. The modified pericardium did not cause toxicity to the fibroblast and supported an appropriate adhesion and proliferation of human endothelial progenitor cells. These results indicated that the modified pericardium could be utilized as a potential natural scaffold for cardiovascular applications.