Experimental and computational models for tissue-engineered heart valves: a narrative review

Ge Yan, Yuqi Liu, Minghui Xie, Jiawei Shi, Weihua Qiao, Nianguo Dong

Table 1 Animal models used in TEHV studies.

Species TEHV manufacture Surgical method Functionality assessment and post-mortem analysis Reference Small animal model Mouse Sulfonic polymer hybrid extracellular matrix Subdermal Histological and immunohistochemical analysis 18 Rat Glut-fixed porcine aortic valve Subdermal Histological and quantitative analysis 19 Electrospinning polycaprolactone scaffold Subdermal Scanning electron microscopic and histological analysis 20 Allogeneic aortic conduit grafts End-to-side anastomosis with infrarenal aorta Histological and immunohistochemical analysis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction 21 Rabbit Poly urethane scaffold Subdermal Macroscopic and histological analysis 13 Large animal model Adult sheep Poly(glycolic acid) scaffold Pulmonary valve replacement via transcatheter-based jugular Intracardiac echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, histological and immunohistochemical analysis 22 Polyvinylidene fluoride scaffold Left anterolateral thoracotomy Inspected for thrombotic deposits, light microscopic analysis, electron microscopic analysis or processed for extracellular matrix assay 23 Juvenile sheep (13–17 kg) Tissue-engineered porcine pulmonary valved conduit Off-pump cardiopulmonary bypass/left anterolateral thoracotomy Transthoracic ultrasound echocardiography, mortality, operating time 24 Foetal ovine PCL scaffold Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement Ultrasound (pulmonary valve annulus), foetal outcome 25 Yorkshire pigs (80 kg) AZ31 magnesium alloy biodegradable stent frame scaffold-based polycarbonate urethane urea TEHV Cardiopulmonary bypass in the pulmonary position Echocardiography, biaxial mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy 26 Porcine Decellularised porcine pulmonary heart valves Median sternotomy or limited lateral thoracotomy, then injection of TEHV Echocardiographic examination, invasive pressure, angiographic measurements 27 Vietnamese pigs Decellularised porcine aortic valves conduit Xypho‐jugular incision, followed by median longitudinal sternotomy Echocardiography, macroscopic inspection, metabolic labelling 28 Canine Decellularised porcine pulmonary heart valves Left anterolateral thoracotomy Echocardiography, histology (haematoxylin and eosin, Masson) and immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy 29 Non-human primate (Chacma Baboon) Poly(glycolic acid) scaffold A mini-sternotomy using an antegrade transapical approach Transesophageal echocardiography, epicardial echocardiography, Pulmonary artery pressure measurement, biochemical analysis 30