Effect of Side-Specific Valvular Shear Stress on the Content of Extracellular Matrix in Aortic Valves

This study aims to investigate the response of side-specific flow patterns, in terms of ECM synthesis and/or degradation in porcine aortic valves. Aortic and ventricular sides of aortic valve leaflets were exposed to oscillatory and laminar flow generated by a Cone-and-Plate machine for 48  h. The amount of collagen, GAGs and elastin was quantified and compared to samples collected from the same leaflets without exposing to flow. The results demonstrated that flow is important to maintain the amount of GAGs and elastin in the valve, as compared to the effect of static conditions. Par ticularly, the laminar waveform plays a crucial role on the modulation of elastin in side-independent manner. Furthermore, the ability of oscillatory flow on the aortic surface to increase the amount of collagen and GAGs cannot be replicated by exposure of an identical flow pattern on the ventricula r side of the valve. Side-specific responses to the particular patterns of flow are important to the regulation of ECM components. Such understanding is imperative to the creation of tissue-engineered heart valves that must be created from the “appropriate” cells that can replicate the functions of the native VECs to regulate the different constituents of ECM.

Source: Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology - October 4, 2016 Category: Cardiology Source Type: research