Calcification of chemically treated bovine pericardium

One of the most important problems arising in cardiac bioprostheses made with bovine pericardium and, more generally, with biologically-derived tissues is tissue calcification. The present study assessed four chemical treatments on patches of bovine pericardium, intended to avoid or minimize calcification. Pericardium specimens were treated with: A) 0.5% glutaraldehyde; B) 0.5% glutaraldehyde + 4% formaldehyde; C) same as A, but with a further neutralization treatment; D) acylation of fresh bovine pericardium. Circular samples of 1 cm diameter were subcutaneously implanted in the abdominal region of three groups of six rats. The explants were retrieved after 2, 4 and 8 weeks. The calcium content and the histological results showed better behaviour for C and D samples than with the commonly used fixation methods (A and B). The lowest calcification was observed with treatment D, even though its morphological structures were somewhat modified with homogenation of collagen bundles. Among the glutaraldehyde-based treatments, treatment C appears to be the most promising because the pericardium shows slower calcium accumulation with a diffusive pattern.