Decreased acute thrombogenicity of human umbilical veins after heparin and alcohol treatment

Nine glutaraldehyde-tanned human umbilical veins (GAUV) were incubated in heparin followed by storage in ethyl alcohol 50% (HAUV). These grafts were compared to five GAUV flushed with a heparinized solution without subsequent treatment in alcohol (HsAUV) and four nonheparinized GAUV (NHUV) placed in the contralateral carotid arteries of dogs for approximately 3 h. The thrombogenicity was evaluated by measuring the platelet adhesion and aggregation (51Cr), fibrinogen accumulation (125I-fibrinogen), the thrombus-free surface and the thrombus weight. The HAUV had the lowest 51Cr radioactivity. The means of thrombus-free surface and thrombus weight for the grafts were as follows: HAUV, 82% and 0.3 g (n = 9); HsAUV, 53% and 0.6 g (n = 5); NHUV, 13% and 1.2 g (n = 4). The HAUV showed a lower thrombogenicity than both the NHUV and the HsAUV grafts.