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Updated: Oct 8, 2025
An Intact Pericardium Ischemic Rodent Model
Published on: September 2, 2021
Stapled Porcine Pericardium Displays Lower Infectivity In Vitro Than Native and Sutured Porcine Pericardium
Benjamin Del Tatto1, Didier Le Roy2, Martine Lambelet3
1Department of Vascular Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Vascular Surgery and Renal Transplantation, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Groupe Européen de Recherche sur les Prothèses Appliquées à la Chirurgie Vasculaire (GEPROVAS), CHRU, Strasbourg, France.
Background:
Biological xenografts using tubulized porcine pericardium are an alternative to replace infected prosthetic graft. We recently reported an innovative technique using a stapled porcine pericardial bioconduit for immediate vascular reconstruction in emergency. The objective of this study is to compare the growth and adherence to grafts of bacteria and yeast incubated with stapled porcine pericardium, sutured or naked pericardium.
Material And Methods:
One square centimeter of porcine pericardial patches, with or without staples or sutures, was incubated with 105 colony forming units of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Candida albicans for 1, 6, and 24 h. The medium was collected to quantify planktonic microorganisms, while grafts were sonicated to quantify adherent microorganisms. Dacron and Dacron Silver were analyzed in parallel as synthetic reference prostheses.
Results:
Stapled porcine pericardium reduced the growth and the adherence of E coli (2- to 30-fold; P < 0.0005), S aureus (11- to 1000-fold; P < 0.0006), S epidermidis (>500-fold; P < 0.0001), and C albicans (12- to 50-fold; P < 0.0001) when compared to medium alone (growth) and pericardium or Dacron (adherence). Native and sutured porcine pericardium interfered with the growth and the adherence of E coli and C albicans, and Dacron with that of S epidermidis. As expected, Dacron Silver was robustly bactericidal.
Conclusions:
Stapled porcine pericardium exhibited a lower susceptibility to infection by bacteria and yeasts in vitro when compared to the native and sutured porcine pericardium. Stapled porcine pericardium might be a good option for rapid vascular grafting without increasing infectivity.
