[Calcification mechanism and anticaicification on cardial bioprostheses]

The high incidence of calcification in cardiac bioprostheses greatly shortens their service life. In this study, we found that the calcification of cardiac bioprostheses was related the content of free carboxyl groups in collagen molecule of cardiac bioprostheses. The method of chemical modification of glutaraldehyde (GA) treated cardiac bioprostheses with epoxy chloropropane (EC) was selected. The content of free carboryl groups in collagen molecule was reduced greatly in EC-modified valve tissues, and the calcified content of EC-modified porcine aortic valve, bovine pericardial and porcine pericardial valves was reduced greatly at 2, 4, 6 weeks after subcutaneous implantation in young New Zealand rabbits. There were good physical stability, mechanical tensile strength and no immunologic reactions against the valve in EC modified valves. These findings showed that the anti-calcified valve can be used in clinic.