Time dependent changes in aortic tissue during cold storage in physiological solution

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 1810; no. 5; pp. 555 - 560
• Main Authors: Ghosn, M.G, Mashiatulla, M, Mohamed, M.A, Syed, S, Castro-Chavez, F, Morrisett, J.D, Larin, K.V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.05.2011
• Subjects: Animals; aorta; Aorta - anatomy & histology; Aorta - drug effects; Aorta - metabolism; biomechanics; biomedical research; Capillary Permeability - drug effects; cold storage; Cold Temperature; Cryopreservation - methods; glucose; Glucose - pharmacokinetics; histology; image analysis; In Vitro Techniques; Organ Preservation - methods; Organ Preservation Solutions - pharmacology; permeability; phosphates; Proteins - metabolism; quantitative analysis; resection; Swine; Time Factors; tomography; Tomography, Optical Coherence; vascular tissues
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 0006-3002; 1872-8006; 0006-3002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2011.02.003

BACKGROUND: Stored vascular tissues are employed in biomedical research for studies in imaging, in biomechanics, and/or in assessing vessel diseases. In the present study, the stability of aortic tissue in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) at 4°C was monitored over a course of 10days as determined by the rate of glucose permeation measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and validated by histology. METHODS AND RESULTS: The initial mean permeability through fresh porcine aorta was (2.32±0.46)×10⁻⁵cm/s (n=5); after maintaining the tissue at 4°C for 10days, the mean rate was (7.37±0.41)×10⁻⁵cm/s (n=4), an increase of nearly 300%. A z-test verified that a significant change in the permeability rate (p<0.05) had occurred after 4days of 4°C storage. Histology was used to quantify changes in tissue pore area. The increase in average pore area paralleled the increase in permeability rate over 10days. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that (1) the structural integrity of aortic tissue at 4°C is retained for at least the first three days after resection and (2) OCT is a powerful technology well suited for evaluating tissue structural integrity over time. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Functional OCT imaging provides for a noninvasive and quantitative technique in determining the structural integrity of aortic tissue stored at 4°C. This modality may be used for assessing the efficacy of other preservation techniques.