Chemical Composition and Biophysical Properties of Porcine Cardiovascular Tissues

Abstract

Collagen from the cardiovascular system is extremely resistant to proteolytic digestion, in contrast with the proteoglycans of these connective tissues. In particular this is true for the heart valves, which contain the largest proportion of collagen. The tensile strength of aortic tissue incubated at 37°C declines rapidly unless fixed with aldehydes. Stabilized glutaraldehyde gives rise to the most stable form of cross-link and renders the tissue structurally intact after more than 4 years of incubation at 37°C in physiological solution. Formaldehyde, on the other hand, gives rise to transcient crosslinks.

These findings are of significance in attempting to understand the behavior of homo- and heterograft tissues implanted for prosthetic purposes, since their functional integrity depends on the maintenance of a structurally adequate connective tissue network.