Biochemical and mechanical behavior of ostrich pericardium as a new biomaterial

✍ Scribed by M. Martín Maestro; J. Turnay; N. Olmo; P. Fernández; D. Suárez; J.M. García Páez; S. Urillo; M.A. Lizarbe; E. Jorge-Herrero

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 397 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1742-7061
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2005.11.004

✦ Synopsis

We have performed a comparative analysis of glutaraldehyde-preserved ostrich pericardium, as a novel biomaterial, with bovine pericardium. The biochemical characteristics (histology, water content, amino acid composition, and collagen and elastin contents), mechanical properties, and in vivo calciWcation in a subcutaneous rat model were examined. Ostrich pericardium is slightly thinner and shows a higher water content (70 § 2% vs. 62 § 2%) than bovine pericardium. Additionally, ostrich pericardium presents 1.6-fold lower elastin content and a lower percentage of collagen in reference to the total protein content (68 § 2% vs. 76 § 2%). However, ostrich pericardium shows better mechanical properties, with higher tensile stress at rupture (32.4 § 7.5 vs. 11.5 § 4.6) than calf pericardium. In vivo calciWcation studies in a rat subcutaneous model show that ostrich pericardium is signiWcantly less calciWed than bovine pericardium (23.95 § 13.30 vs. 100.10 § 37.36 mg/g tissue) after 60 days of implantation. In conclusion, glutaraldehyde-stabilized ostrich pericardium tissue shows better mechanical properties than calf tissue. However, calcium accumulation in implanted ostrich tissue is still too high to consider it a much better alternative to bovine pericardium, and anticalciWcation treatments should be considered.