Treatment of bioprosthetic heart valve tissue with long chain alcohol solution to lower calcification potential

The use of glutaraldehyde-treated biological tissue in heart valve substitutes is an important option in the treatment of heart valve disease. These devices have limited durability, in part, because of tissue calcification and subsequent tearing of the valve leaflets. Components thought to induce calcification include lipids, cell remnants, and residual glutaraldehyde. We hypothesized that treatment of glutaraldehyde-treated bioprosthetic heart valve material using a short and long chain alcohol (LCA) combination, composed of 5% 1,2-octanediol in an ethanolic buffered solution, would reduce phospholipid content and subsequently lower the propensity of these tissues to calcify in vivo. Phospholipid content of glutaraldehyde-treated porcine valve leaflets and bovine pericardium was found to be 10.1 +/- 4.3 (n = 7) and 3.9 +/- 0.48 (n = 2) microg/mg dry tissue, respectively, which was reduced to 0.041 +/- 0.06 (n = 7) and 0.21 +/- 0.05 (n = 4) microg/mg dry tissue, respectively, after LCA treatment. Calcification potential of the treated tissues was assessed using a rat subcutaneous implant model. After 60 days of implantation, calcium levels were found to be 171 +/- 32 (n = 11) and 83 +/- 70 (n = 12) mg/g dry weight for glutaraldehyde-treated porcine leaflets and bovine pericardium, respectively, whereas prior LCA treatment resulted in reduced calcium levels of 1.1 +/- 0.6 (n = 12) and 0.82 +/- 0.1 (n = 12) mg/g dry weight, respectively. These data, taken together, support the notion that treatment of glutaraldehyde-treated tissue with a short and long chain alcohol combination will reduce both extractable phospholipids and the propensity for in vivo calcification.