Research shows that cryopreservation procedure does not modify the mechanical properties of …

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Biology Articles » Cryobiology » An in vitro study of cryopreserved and fresh human arteries: a comparison with ePTFE prostheses and human arteries studied non-invasively in vivo

Abstract

- An in vitro study of cryopreserved and fresh human arteries: a comparison with ePTFE prostheses and human arteries studied non-invasively in vivo

An in vitro study of cryopreserved and fresh human arteries: a comparison with ePTFE prostheses and human arteries studied non-invasively in vivo

Ricardo L. Armentano^{a, b}, Daniel Bia Santana^{b, ,}, Edmundo I. Cabrera Fischer^{a, c}, Sebastián Graf^a, Héctor Pérez Cámpos^d, Yanina Zócalo Germán^b, Maria del Carmen Saldías^d and Inés Alvarez^d

^aFacultad de Ingeniería, Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Favaloro. Solís 453, C1078AAI, Buenos Aires, Argentina
^bDepartamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, General Flores 2125, PC 11800, Montevideo, Uruguay
^cMember of the Research Career, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
^dBanco Nacional de Órganos y Tejidos, Ministerio de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Montevideo, Uruguay. Avenida Italia 2870, Hospital de Clínicas, PC 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay

Received 5 November 2004;  accepted 5 September 2005.  Available online 7 November 2005.

The surgical options in arterial reconstruction are: the use of autologous arteries; autologous veins; or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts. However, the development of intimal hyperplasia when using veins or ePTFE grafts has been associated with graft failure. Since autologous arteries are not always available, the use of cryopreserved arteries has to be considered. The aims of this study were: (a) to compare the viscoelastic properties of stored cryopreserved arteries and fresh arteries by in vitro analysis; and (b) to compare the viscoelastic properties of arteries measured non-invasively in normotensive patients, with fresh arteries, cryopreserved arteries, and ePTFE segments. The viscoelastic studies were performed in normotensive patients using stress–strain analysis with non-invasive measurement of pressure and diameter in the common carotid artery, and in vitro measurements of pressure and diameter in arteries and prostheses. The in vitro studies showed that the elastic modulus (E), viscous modulus (η), Stiffness Index (SI), Peterson modulus (Ep), and the pulse wave velocity (PWV) values for human cryopreserved carotid arteries were similar to the values obtained non-invasively in normotensive subjects (P > 0.05) and to human fresh vessels (P > 0.05). In vitro, the SI, Ep, PWV, and E values of ePTFE were significantly higher than the observed values in subjects and with fresh and cryopreserved arteries (P η values were the lowest (P 

Keywords: Cryopreservation; Arterial wall; Viscoelasticity; Stress-strain; Common carotid artery; ePTFE

Source: Cryobiology Vol 52, Issue 1 , Feb 2006, Pp 17-26.