Swim bladder as an alternative biomaterial for bioprosthetic valves

Abstract

Valvular structural deterioration and calcification are the main indications for secondary intervention after bioprosthetic valve replacement, promoting an urgent requirement for more durable cardiovascular biomaterials for clinical applications. The swim bladder of carp we introduced in this study has several advantages as a raw biomaterial when compared to the bovine pericardium. First, the results of in vitro assays demonstrated that the cross-linked carp swim bladder exhibited superior biocompatibility compared to the bovine pericardium, and the anti-calcification property was verified by subcutaneous implantation experiments in rats. Furthermore, the cross-linked swim bladder tissue was sutured on a cobalt–chromium alloy stent to fabricate a pulmonary bioprosthetic valve, and then the feasibility and durability of the bioprosthetic valve were proved by a fatigue test in vitro. Finally, a sheep pulmonary bioprosthetic valve replacement in situ experiment further confirmed the superior calcification resistance, immune-compatibility, endothelialization, and hemodynamic properties of the swim bladder, suggesting that it might be used as an alternative biomaterial for bioprosthetic valves.