The biological properties of decellularized human tissue-engineering aortic valves conduits

Objective: To study the biological properties of a decellular human tissue engineering homograft aortic valves conduits. Methods: (1) Human homograft aortic valves conduits were treated with the pH 8 0 hypotonic tris buffer for 12h. (2) Then with pH 8 0 isotonic buffer added with the 1% DOA (deoxycholic acid) for 24h. (3) At last, a pH 7 6 isotonic buffer with the DNAase 200μg/ml, NAase 20 μg/ml was applied. The histology, water content, thickness, denaturation temperature, DNA content, collagen contents were examined. Results: The valves, the wall and the muscle layer of the human homograft aortic valves conduits were decellulared completely compared with the standard crypreserved human homograft aortic valves. Water content in the decellular aortic wall was increased significantly (75 44±1 84 vs. 82 05±0 71,P0 05). DNA content of the valve was decreased by 91 14% and 91 53% of the wall. Denaturation temperature, collagen contents and thickness of the decellularized human homograft aortic valves had no significant differences. Conclusion: The decellularized method applied in this study could be effective according to the data. Meanwhile, the biological properties of the decellularized human homograft aortic valves were shown relatively stable. These valves might be used as an ideal valve for patients or as a homograft stent for tissue engineering valve by host recellularization of the fibrous matrix.