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Comparison of different anticalcification treatments for stentless bioprostheses
T Walther1, V Falk, R Autschbach
1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heart Center, University of Leipzig, Germany. walt@server3.medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Background:
New anticalcificant treatments have been developed because tissue calcification is a major contributing factor for bioprosthetic valve failure.
Methods:
Aortic valve leaflet and aortic root tissue samples from stentless bioprostheses treated with No-React (Biocor, Belo Horizonte, Brazil), AOA (Medtronic freestyle, Minneapolis, MN), and BiLinx (St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, MN) were compared to a control group by subcutaneous implantation in 60 male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats.
Results:
Calcium levels were in the range of 0.3 to 2.2 mg/g dry tissue at 3 and 12 weeks in all three treated aortic valve leaflet implants. The BiLinx treatment proved anticalcificant effectiveness on aortic root samples as well. There were statistically significant differences for valve leaflet tissue samples: No-React = AOA < BiLinx < < Control and for aortic root tissue samples: BiLinx < < AOA < Control = No-React.
Conclusion:
Calcification of aortic valve leaflets was significantly reduced by all new anticalcificant treatments. Inhibition of cellular calcification (BiLinx) resulted in additional reduction of aortic root calcification. Maximum anticalcificant properties upon both leaflet and aortic root is important as these are considered a functional unit in stentless bioprostheses.
Insights
New anticalcificant treatments effectively reduced tissue calcification in bioprosthetic valves. BiLinx demonstrated significant anticalcificant properties for both aortic valve leaflets and aortic root tissue.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cardiovascular Research
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Tissue calcification is a primary cause of bioprosthetic valve failure.
- Development of novel anticalcificant treatments is crucial for improving valve longevity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the anticalcificant efficacy of three novel treatments (No-React, AOA, BiLinx) on stentless bioprostheses.
- To compare the effectiveness of these treatments on aortic valve leaflet and aortic root tissues.
Main Methods:
- Subcutaneous implantation of treated and control aortic valve leaflet and aortic root tissue samples in Sprague-Dawley rats.
- Quantification of calcium levels in tissue samples at 3 and 12 weeks post-implantation.
Main Results:
- All three anticalcificant treatments significantly reduced calcification in aortic valve leaflets.
- BiLinx treatment showed significant anticalcificant effectiveness in aortic root samples.
- Comparative analysis revealed varying degrees of efficacy among treatments for both tissue types.
Conclusions:
- Novel anticalcificant treatments effectively inhibit calcification in bioprosthetic valve leaflets.
- BiLinx offers dual efficacy, reducing both leaflet and aortic root calcification.
- Optimizing anticalcificant properties for both leaflet and root tissues is essential for stentless bioprostheses.