Strengthened Decellularized Porcine Valves via Polyvinyl Alcohol as a Template Improving Processability

Figures

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  Figure 1. Schematic diagram of PVA/decellularized heart valves. The bottom of the picture is a schematic diagram of the PVA/decellularized heart valve suture.

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  Figure 2. The H&E staining of decellularized valves treated with 12% PVA cross-section under the magnification of 100× (A) and 200× (B).

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  Figure 3. The microscopic morphology characterizations of decellularized valves treated with different concentrations of PVA. Representative SEM images of decellularized valves treated with different concentrations of PVA (0%, 10%, 12%, 14%, and 16%) under the magnification of 1000×, 3000×, and 5000×. Red dotted circle and box show the local of low magnification SEM images.

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  Figure 4. The FTIR spectra of decellularized valves treated with different concentrations of PVA. Red dotted lines show corresponding characteristic peaks.

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  Figure 5. Evaluations on the flexibility of decellularized valves treated with different concentrations of PVA solution. Schematic illustration of test of bending degree (a); bending degrees of decellularized valve treated with 10% (b), 12% (c), 14% (d), and 16% (e) PVA solution and pure decellularized valve (f) after contacting with water.

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  Figure 6. The mechanical characterizations of decellularized valves treated with different concentrations of PVA solution: Strength (A), Tensile strain of longitudinal (B), Elastic modulus (C), and Stress–strain curve (D). (UDV: un-decellularized valves; red dotted line: the reference line; Error bars: ±SD, * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001).

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  Figure 7. Results of in vitro cell adhesion. The HUVECs adhesion rates of decellularized valve treated with different concentrations of PVA solution at 1, 2, 3, and 6 h (A); 1, 3, 5, and 7 d (B).

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  Figure 8. The in vitro characterizations of cell morphology. TRITC-phalloidin (red) and DAPI (blue) staining fluorescence images of HUVECs morphology on the surface of decellularized valves treated with different concentrations of PVA solution after 24 h culture (A) and 7 d culture (B). (White arrows: cells’ pseudopods).

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  Figure 9. Suture procedure of decellularized valves treated with 12% PVA. Digital photographs of suturing PDV with PLA yarn (a–d); schematic illustration of suture procedure (e).